Varsity to document tribal dialect, art forms of Wayanad

The unique dialects and indigenous art forms of tribesmen of Wayanad, the hilly north Kerala district which has the largest concentration of tribal population in the state, will be documented soon.
The Thunchath Ezhuthachan Malayalam University at Malappuram is getting ready to record the unique dialects spoken by different tribal groups in the district as part of its dialect survey programme.
Besides this, a cultural and heritage survey would also be carried out for the detailed documentation of the cultural and art forms of the region, Vice Chancellor K Jayakumar said.
"For that, we will carry out a primary discussion with various agencies like Folklore Academy and Kirtads and students of Calicut University who have already made efforts to document the life of tribal people in Wayanad," he said.

After preparing a detailed action plan, the survey would commence this March end.
Steps have been taken for the selection of staff for the project and their training is expected to be completed by next month, university sources said.

The newly formed university has already completed a similar survey at Malappuram, where it is located, and published a report in this regard.
The varsity would soon organise a detailed discussion on the report with the participation of eminent linguists, academic experts and cultural leaders, they said.
Located at Tirur in Malappuram district, Malayalam University is named after Thunchath Ezhuthachan, the father of Malayalam language.