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Scots Independent

The Flag in the Wind
Features - Gaelic Column
March 2003

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Colbh GàidhIig

Mìos eile a charaidean. Nach tèid t-àm gu clis nuair a bhios beatha inntinneach agaibh? Ann da-rireabh, tha mi a’ faighneachd, an tèid?

An rud as inntinniche a thachair ormsa o chionn goirid, b’ e sin a’faicinn cho Iseal ‘s a tha mo phoileasaidh Standard Life air a dhol. ‘S e deagh rud a th’ ann a bhith a’ toirt a-mach àrachas nuair a bhios tu òg — tòrr àrachais ma bhios clann agad— gus am bi airgead agad nuair a bhios tu sean. Nach innis sibh dhomh ciamar a bhios sin ag obair? No ‘s dòcha innis do Gordon Brown.

An darna rud as inntinniche, b’ ann gun do bhruidhinn mi ri dithis fhireannach mun cholbh seo. Thuirt aon fhear gun robh e a’ còrdadh ris, agus thuirt am fear eile gun robh e seach searbh sgith den sgudal agam agus cuin a bha mi dol a stad a’ bruidhinn air binder twine agus a thòiseachadh air rud eiginn glic a ràdh? Sin na fireannaich — cha ghabh iad tolleachadh gu bràth. Thuirt mi ‘Gun robh math agad’ ris a’ chiad neach, agus ‘Suas do bhocsa a bhalaich. Dè tha thu ag iarraidh airson an airgid’? ris an darna. Saoil an e sin na bhios daoine a’ciallachadh le ‘positive listening’? Co-dhiù, nach a deagh stùth a th’ anns a’ bhinder twine? Cha mhòr nach eu e cho math ‘s a tha iarann preasach. ‘S urrainn dhut term a thogail le iarann preasach — taighean, taighean-chearc, bothanan, feansaichean, hocsaichean. flu’s drathals ma bhios tu garbh gu leer.

Uill a charaidean, tha ml ‘n dòchas gun do chuir sibh ulle a-steach fianais don chomataidh a bha a’sgrùdadh Bile Micheal Russell air son dion a thoirt do Ghàidhlig. Leugh mi gun do thog buiddheann den aimn èibhinn ‘Commission for Racial Equality’ fianais, ag ràdh gun robh am Bile anaiteamach — no ‘racist’ sa’ chainnt eile. Tha Gàidhlig, no seann chànan Eireannach ma bhios sibh ag iarraidh a bhith ceart ma dhèldhinn, air a bhith ann an Alba fad còrr is mile blladhna gu leth. Chan eiI cainnt dhùthchasach nas sine ann. B’ e na Gàidheil a rinn Alba, a thug dhuinn aonadh, creideamh, ionannachd, ceòl, dualchas agus ar n-ainmean. Tha deagh eachdraidh aig a’ Ghàidhlig, agus tha mise gu math làidir den bheachd gum bu chòir do Ghàidhlig a bhith ann San hmrttnehd. Cha tachair sin san là an.dhigh gun chOirichean laghail igus gun inbhe thèarainte. Cha chrèid mi gu bheil teagamh sam bith a thaobh sin. Ach, mar a tha mise tuigsinn gearan an CRE, cha bu chòir do chainnt na dùthcha àite sam bith fhaighinn mura faigh Urdu, Punjabi agus a h-uile cainnt eile a thàinig don dùthaich o chionn goirid an aon àite. Ma gheibh Gàldhlig dion, ni seo dimeas air a h-uile mion-chànan san dùthaich. Tha luchd na Beurla air a bhith feuchainn a chum às do Ghàidhlig fad ceithir ceud bliadhna — agus an còrr! B’ e stri gu math fada a bh’ ann fhaigbinn don ìre far a bheil Bile anns a’ Phàrlamaid idir. Chan eil feum sam bith againn air sluagh le buntanas do dhùthchannan cèin a’tòiseachadh air an aon chogadh-croise an aghaidh na Gàldhlig. Agus, a-rèir na thuirt an aon bhuidheann anns a’ Chuimrigh, chan elil idir anaiteamach a bhith toirt còirichean laghail don Chuimris an-sin; ‘s e direach Gàidhlig nach eil airidh orra. Thuiginn daoine smaointinn gun robh e anaiteamach nam bitheadh cuid eigin ag ràdh gum bu chòir do Ghàidhlig inbhe laghail fhaighinn ann an Calcutta. Rud beag den ‘last days of the Raj’ nach e? Ach ‘s e seo Alba. Suas leis a’ Ghàidhlig! Ach cuimhnichibh — agus chuala sibh an-seo e — ma chleachdas sibh Gàidhlig ann an Alba mar a chleachdas sibh Beurla tha cunnart ann gum bi seo’. . . send(ing) out an unhelpful message in terms of race relations’. Mar a their iad ann an Glaschu — ‘Aye. Right’.

Sin e bhuam son mios eile. Mura tachair rud sam bith a chuireas dragh orm ron ath cholbh, tha mi dol a sgriobhadh rud eigin eagalach inntinneach. Chan eil fios agam dè. Na putaibh mi. Aon rud a dh’fheumas fireannaich a thuigsinn — bidh boireannaich dhith air barrachd ùine.’

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