Calcutta University scholars interacting with Sadri community | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement A group of scholars from the University of Calcutta recently visited a village in the Sundarbans in a bid to save a language that is on the verge of extinction. They went to a settlement called Kamarpara in Gosaba subdivision of South 24 Parganas to begin translation into the English of a novel written by a local in a tribal language called Sadri, and also to spend time with members of the Sadri community. The novel — titled Baman Burir Char (‘Dwarf Old Lady’s Char’), with char meaning emerging riverine islands — has been authored by Dayalhari Sardar, who is an Assistant Professor of Bengali at nearby Bhangor Mahavidyalaya. “I would say it is the author who is actually saving the language. But language and literature are not just about the scripts and words — they carry with them culture, tradition, politics, society, struggles and much more. So, by translating it into English and opening it up to a global audience, we’re essentially …