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The Flag in the Wind
Features - Gaelic Column
December 2003

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Colbh Gàidhlig

Mar a gheall mi dhuibh, rud eigin glic a’ mhìos seo. Ok, ‘s dòcha nach eil e cho glic sin, ach ‘s e sin mo sgeulachd agus nach mi tha cumail rithe. Bìle na Gàidhlig. An tug sibh sùil air? Mura tug, tha cothrom agaibh a-nis. Ma bhios sibh air loighne, gheibh sibh e aig www.scotland.gov.uk/bilenagaidhlig (chuir iad seachad tòrr ùine smaointinn air an ainm sin, eh?). Fònaibh gu 0131-244-4942, no ma bhios sibh airson sgrìobhadh, cuiribh brath gu ‘An t-Aonad Gàidhlig, Roinn 1-A, Spòrs, Ealain agus Cultar, Roinn Foghlaim (Riaghaltas) na h-Alba, Cidhe Bhictoria, Dùn Eideann EH6 6QQ . Nuair a bhios mise nam cheann-shuidhe bidh ainm eile air a’ chidhe sin, ach co-dhiù, cumaidh mi don chuspair.

Feumaidh mi ràdh gum b’ e briseadh-dùil a bh’ ann nuair a leugh mi e an toiseach. Ràinig mi an deireadh agus shaoil mi ‘Càit a bheil an còrr?’ Bidh faclan mar ‘ . . . iomchaidh plana-cànain Gàidhlig ullachadh. . .’ a’ toirt orm smaointinn ‘Gie’s a breck – nam bitheadh iad ag iarraidh plana Gàidhlig bhitheadh e aca cheana.’ Chan eil lagh na aghaidh, a bheil? Agus cia mheud buidheann phoblach tha air tighinn a-mach le taic sam bith don Ghàidhlig? Chan eil fios agamsa, ach tha mi ceart cinnteach nach ruithinn a-mach à corragan gan cunntadh. Nuair a leugh mi a-rithist e cia-tà bha beachd fada na b’ fheàrr agam.

Cha bhi neach againn an dùil gum bi buidhnean poblach a’ leum suas is sìos a’ glaodhaich ‘Allah be praised, faodaidh plana Gàidhlig a bhith againn a-nis.’ Leum suas is sìos le fearg, ‘s dòcha. Ach an rud a tha math nam bheachdsa, ‘s e sin gum feum iad sùil a thoirt air Gàidhlig. Ma bhios iad airson diùltadh gnothach a ghabhail ris a’ chuspair feumaidh iad innse carson,  agus fianais a thoirt seachad a mhìneachadh na their iad. Mura bi Bòrd na Gàidhlig sona le sin faodaidh iad dol do Mhinistearean na h-Alba agus faodaidh iadsan riaghailtean a dheanamh. Bhitheadh e doirbh don riaghaltas a shuidhe air an làmhan fhad’s a bha buidhnean poblach a’ deanamh soillier nach robh iad dol a thoirt feart sam bith air an lagh. Mar sin, chan fhaod buidheann dìreach a ràdh ‘Oh well we neednae bother wi that, that’s for they folk up there.’ (Nis, a bheil sibh idir a’ smaointinn gun cuala mi na faclan sin roimhe . . .? ) Deagh àite ‘up there’, nach e? Nuair a bhios daoine a’ faighneachd dhiom am bi mi tighinn bho ‘up there’, bidh mi ag ràdh ‘No. Across there and down a bit.’ Aon turas thuirt cuid eigin rium ‘What, Wales?’ Aidh, a charaidean, tha eud an t-saoghail air ar siostam foghlaim.

Bha mi aig coinneimh far an robh fireannach bhon riaghaltas a’ bruidhinn air a’ Bhile agus a’ toirt dìon dha. Thuirt esan gum b’ e sin an seòrsa cainnt a chleachdas iad anns na rudan sin agus nach bi e idir cho lag ‘s a bhios daoine a’ cumail a-mach. Mu eisimpleir, thàinig Achd Foghlaim a-mach ann an 2000 le còig ‘National Priorities’, nam measg Gàidhlig. Anns an Achd sin chì sibh na faclan ‘have due regard to Gaelic . . .’ Chan eil sin a’ fuaimneachadh fiadhaich làidir idir idir, ach mar a bha esan ag ràdh, nuair a dh’innseas an riaghaltas dhut ‘due regard’ a ghabhail, bidh sin a’ ciallachadh ‘dean rud eigin mu dheidhinn’. Mar a b’ àbhaist do m’ athair a ràdh , ‘dìreach smuain - ach cuimhnich cò tha ga dheanamh.’

‘S e toiseach tòiseachadh a th’ anns a’ Bhile agus chan eil e sgrìobhte air cloich a ghiùlan fireannaich air an robh dreasa fhada à Israel. Tha cothrom aig a h-uile duine beachdan a chuir a-steach. Mholainn dhuibh a’ smaointinn air sin, ach dìreach aon fhacal rabhaidh – cuimhnichibh gu bheil laghan eile a’ dèiligeadh le Gàidhlig cuideachd. (Ok sin ochd faclan rabhaidh.) A bharrachd air Achd an Fhoghlaim tha an ‘European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages’ ris an do chuir riaghaltas Breatainn ainm ann an 2000 agus a thàinig a-steach don lagh ann an 2001. Cha chuir ar riaghaltas rud eigin a-steach don Bhile Gàidhlig a tha anns an lagh cheana.

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