Banjarmasin, S Kalimantan (ANTARA) - The City Government of Banjarmasin held for the first time the Banjar Language Congress and cultural figures, community leaders, as well as millenial generation gathered to attend it here on Friday (Dec 6, 2019).
The Mayor of Banjarmasin H Ibnu Sina remarked, Banjar language is part of cultural teasures that exist in the Province of South Kalimantan, so it must be a common concern and the congress should produce a formula.
The formula would later be brought to the Directorate General of Culture of the Ministry of Education and Culture to be proposed as an intangible Indonesian cultural heritage of South Kalimantan.
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He said, to enrich the Banjar language as one of Banjar culture, then it was made in the form of oral and written literature. The goal is to avoid extinction on earth.
The late Prof Djabar Hapip --a language expert and a professor at the Lambung Mangkurat University-- had written the Banjar language dictionary. Then the Antasari State Islamic University (UIN) in collaboration with the Indonesian Ulema council (MUI) of South Kalimantan has published a translation of Al-Quran in the Banjar language.
When viewed from the aspect of oral and written literature, he said, the existance of the Banjar language is still maintaned its authenticity, especially in the form of oral literature, such as Madihin, Balamut, Mamanda, Pantun, Basyair, and Bapandung.
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"I am grateful that we have many reliable writers who have helped preserve the Banjar language through their writings. So it is our duty to preserve and maintain it," Ibnu Sina pointed out.
According to him, although the congress is the first time held by the Banjarmasin city Government, it was hoped that all parties could appreciated it. Realizing the intention of the activity was very good, namely raising the Banjar language in order not to extinct.
"Therefore, whether those present have represented or not it should not be questioned, but see the motivation and then their desires, their ideals, to preserve the Banjar language," Ibnu Sina said.
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