What does Rohingya language intellectual/political discourse look like?
Rohingya should be trying to find a way to inform their political discourse in their own language so the Rohingya community as a whole can be empowered and know they can have agency. Colonial era Bamars made the mistake of leaving the development of an intellectual culture focused on the present as opposed to the past to an English speaking elite until too late. In the 1930s, Burmese-speaking intellectuals tried to change this with the Nagani bookshop, Burmese language newspapers (Ludu presss), the World of Books (with Furnivall’s guidance), but the seeds that were sewn were dug back out the ground by Ne Win’s RC govt and then the BSPP govt and military goats afterwards. Bamars were left with an indigenous political discourse that focused on the old texts and the old Burmese court and Burmese traditional values. We see what intellectual isolationism has resulted in–the hate-storm that has grabbed the Bamar populace. Rohingya should never be dependent upon political discourse in a foreign language. Wherever possible, political terms and concepts need to be borrowed or adapted to the Rohingya language and we need foreigners, who wish to communicate with the Rohingya, to try to do so as much as possible in Rohingya. I don’t know Rohingya yet, but I am trying to learn now. Any word lists or otherwise–for political terminologies (not everyday words) would be useful if shared with everyone here.
https://www.rohingyalanguage.com
http://www.rohingya.uk
http://www.rohingya.co.uk