’S Mithich Dhuinn Guthan nan Gàidheal a Chluinntinn

A’ toirt a-steach sgrìobhadh aig urracha mòra na h-Alba, bha na guthan uile, air an toirt cruinn, nan deagh eisimpleir den dòigh a tha co-ionnanachd, iolrachd is in- ghabhaltas air deagh bhuaidh a thoirt air poball na h-Alba, is mar a bhios sinn gar faicinn fhèin mar Albannaich. Am measg nan sgrìobhadairean bha luchd de dhath leithid Leila Aboulela is Sanjeev Kohli, feadhainn LGDTC leithid Jo Clifford, Alan Cumming is McDermid fhèin, is daoine a bhios a’ fuireach thall ’s a-bhos, air feadh Alba. Ach ’s aon rud a bha dhìth: guth nan Gàidheal, anns na h- Eileanan, air a’ Ghàidhealtachd is anns na bailtean mòra.

Aig an aon àm, chaidh Voices for Independence a stèidheachadh, aig an robh an aon amas: snàithlein òir a tharraing am measg diofair bheachdan air còir is cor na dùthcha. Air a chur air bhonn leis an Scottish Independence Convention, thòisich am buidheann tachartasan air-loidhne a chur air dòigh.

Am measg nan aoighean bha Eddi Reader, Kirsten Innes, is Alan Bissett a’ dèanamh luaidh air na bh’ aca de dhòchas ro chothrom nàisean ùr a thogail. Chaidh gainnead na Gàidhlig a chàineadh aig duine cliùiteach is ciallach leithid Màiri Anna NicUalraig is Aonghas Phàdraig Caimbeul, aig a bheil beachdan a tha airidh air èisteachd.

Cha robh èisteachd am measg nan Voices. Fiù ’s ann an 2023, chan eil iomradh na Gàidhlig air an làraich-lìn aca no am measg nan tachartasan air an clàradh is rim faicinn ann. Gheibhear cuspairean leithid na gnàth-shìde, ged a tha tuath-gaoithe far costa Innse Gall agus buaidh bleith-thalmhainn ri faicinn air feadh na sgìre. Cuideachd, peinnseanan is teachd-a-steach coitcheann bunaiteach, ged a tha gnìomhachasan ionadail a’ crìonadh air feadh na Gàidhealtachd, is dùbhlain ro òigridh a tha airson tilleadh a dh’àiteachan an tùis, a’ lorg beòshlàint. Seo deasbadan is feumaidh Gàidheil a bhith an sàs annta. B’ fheàrr le Voices cothrom eile a thoirt do dh’Elaine C. Smith is Graham Campbell.

Dithis a tha inntinneach gu leòr, ach is dòcha gum b’ fheàrr leinne Dolina NicIllFhinnein a chluinntinn, a tha air a beatha a’ cur seachad a’ strì son neo-eisimeileachd. A-rithist, tha rudeigin a dhìth – guth na Gàidhlig fhèin.

A bheil sibh a’ faicinn pàtrain, fhathast? Ron an reifreinn is às a dhèidh, mas aon rud a tha air a bhith cunbhalach aig cridhe an deasbaid, sin dearmad – is dìmeas, uaireannan – air sluagh le còrr is 57,000 dhaoine.

Ach a bheil luchd-deasachaidh is luchd-iomairt an dùil is nach eil rudeigin againn ri ràdh?

Fhad ’s a bhios luchd-naidheachd ri luaidh mhòr air calpachas, còraichean is cor na dhùthcha, ’s sinne mar mhion-shluagh le mion-chànan, a tha am measg na feadhna as motha a bhios a’ mothachadh nam buillean. Tha saoghal na Gàidhlig mun iadh cànan(an) na Beurla is sin aig stiùir dlùth-chruinneis. Mar sin, tha sealladh sònraichte againn air Alba is air cùisean na cruinne, agus eòlas gu leòr. Carson, mar sin, a bhrùthas daoine leithid McDermid, Sharp is Voices For Independence gu taobh sinn?

Tha seo uile na eisimpleir is an dòigh nach eil EDI, mar a chanas sa Bheurla, air a lìbhrigeadh ach tron Bheurla a-mhàin, ann an dùthaich le trì cànanan tùsanach litreachail. Tha luchd-sgrùdaidh nan oilthighean air gluasad bho mhodal nan trì teangannan is tha sin ri fhaicinn air feadh cultar na h- Alba.

Tha an rùn os-nàiseanta na dheagh amas, ach air a’ stiùireadh le luchd na Beurla a-mhàin, gun smuain air suidheachadh neo-chinnteach na Gàidhlig, na Beurla Ghallta is cuideachd Cànan- soidhnidh Bhreatainn is Cànanan Luchd-siubhail.

Uair is uair eile, tha cuspair cànain, aig cridhe cultair, air a mhùchadh is cha tachair ach gum faighear sealladh claon air staid na dùthcha. Tha EDI na rèiteachadh a chaidh a lorg gun cheist ri cur oirnn-ne, ach is gun cuir sinn ar cuid bheachdan an cèill tron Bheurla.

Le sin, dè an diofair eadar sin is ­modus operandi Westminster, a dh’iarras air luchd an t-saoghal bruidhinn riutha anns a’ chànan a chaidh sparradh orra, co-dhiù am b’ fheàrr sin leotha no nach b’ fheàrr.

Mas e is gun dùinear an doras ron Ghàidhlig fhèin, ’s ann ro luchd-labhairt a’ chànain a dhùinear – luchd na glùine is luchd-labhairt ùra mar an ceudna – cuideachd. ’S e tha doirbh co-ionnanachd, iolrachd is in-ghabhaltas fhaicinn sa chùis sin. A-mhàin, creideadh colonach am beòil a dh’innseas nach urrainn dhuinn na còmhraidhean as cudromaiche a chumail ach is gun diùlt sinn a’ Ghàidhlig.

Tha ceangal ris a’ bheachd nach tig sinn gu foghlam is feallsanachd ach tro mheadhan Angla- Shasannach. Ach, is Gàidheal-ghamhlas a tha sin, is tha gach neach a bha an sàs anns an dà iomairt a dh’ainmicheadh ciontach dheth, fhad ’s nach robh is nach eil iad uile deònach a’ cheist a thogail – càite bheil na Gàidheil?

Fad farpais ceannard a’ Phàrtaidh Nàiseanta, le Ceit Fhoirbheis, tha Gàidheil air feadh Alba air fhaicinn cothrom Prìomh-mhinisteir a bhith againn is i na tosgaire ar cànain. A tha sin, is e na làn-thìde is dòcha gur ann airson na ciad uarach a bhios cànan na Gàidhlig aig cridhe dheasbadan nàiseanta, seach air a h-iomallachadh anns na marghain. Air ar brosnachadh le seo, tha sinne ga fhaicinn mar chothrom do thuilleadh dhaoine – le Gàidhlig no ga h-ionnsachadh – an cuid bheachdan aca a chur an cèill, tron a’ chànan is ma dhèidhinn.

Mar sin, ’s ann aig an Nàiseanta thèid àite a chruthachadh do Ghàidheil gus beatha is barail a chumail ro luchd-leughaidh. Gheibh sibh cothrom coinneachadh ri luchd-labhairt nan Eilean is Thìr-mhòir, air a’ chiad Dhidòmhnaich, gach mìos.

English translation

In 2020, Canongate published a volume edited by Val McDermid and Jo Sharp, Imagine a Country. A country named ‘Alba’ in Gaelic, long before the Anglo-Saxon languages were ever heard here. A nation united by Gaelic-speakers, that was itself named by others after the Gaels. A country where Gaelic is still heard in every local authority area, according to the last census. Including writing from some of the Scottish great and good, the voices, when considered together, were a good example of the way that equalities, diversity and inclusion have had positive impact on the Scottish people, and how we see ourselves as Scots. Amongst those writing were people or colour such as Leila Aboulela and Sanjeev Kohli, LGBTQ people like Jo Clifford, Alan Cumming and McDermid herself, and people living the length and breadth of Scotland. But one thing was missing: the voice of Gaeldom, in the Islands, in the Highlands and in our urban centres.

At the same time, Voices For Independence was established, which had the same aspiration: finding golden threads amongst diverse opinions about on the rights, freedoms and state of the nation. Facilitated by the Scottish Independence Convention, the organisation began in earnest with a series of online events. Among the invited guests were Eddi Reader, Kirsten Innes and Alan Bissett, giving their tuppence-worth, embued with their hopes for building a new nation. The lack of Gaelic was criticised then by the likes of Mary Ann Kennedy and Angus Peter Campbell, who, like the rest, have views worth hearing.

None such were heard amongst these Voices. Even in 2023, there is no mention of Gaelic on the website or among the events archived for catch-up viewing. The subject-matter is far-reaching including questions about climate, whilst there remains a wind-farm off the coast of the Western Isles. Likewise, pensions and universal basic income, whilst local Highland businesses wither away, and young people there face challenges if they hope to return to where they were born and broad up, in search of a livelihood. These are the exact kind of debates that the Gaels need to be at the heart of. Instead, Voices preferred to give yet another opportunity to Elaine C. Smith and Graham Campbell. Two speakers who are as interesting as any, but perhaps Dolina Maclennan might have been preferred amongst Gaelic-speakers, given her life-long campaigning for independence. Again, something was missing – the voice of the Gaelic language itself.

Can you see the pattern yet? Before and after the referendum, if one thing could be guaranteed it was that, at the heart of debate one demographic was consistently forgotten if not admonished. One that numbers some 57,000 people. But do editors and activists really think we have nothing to say? Whilst journalists continue to focus on capitalism, rights and the national question, we, as minoritised community speaking a minoritised language, are amongst those who most keenly take the punches. Gaeldom is encircled by the Anglo-Saxon tongue(s) at the heart of globalisation. For all this, we have a unique perspective on Scotland and international affairs, and the experience to go with it. Why, then, do the likes of McDermid, Sharp and Voices for Independence relegate us to the margins.

This is just one example of how EDI is exclusively delivered through the English language, in a country which has three native, literary languages. University academics have been quick to ditch the three-tongued model and this permeates throughout the Scottish cultural sector. Cosmopolitanism is a worthy aim, but it is dictated solely by speakers of the English language, without a second thought for the uncertain status of Gaelic, Scots, BSL and the GRT languages. Time and time again, the subject of language, central to notions of culture, is strangled and this leaves us only with a myopic view on what the country is like, in real terms. EDI is a resolution reached without our ever having been asked, unless we are prepared to switch into English. So, what’s the difference, then, between that and the modus

operandi of Westminster, which expects the whole world to speak back in the language they enforced upon it, whether that is their prefer means of communication or not.

If the door is slammed in the face of the Gaelic language itself, then it is inevitably slammed on speakers themselves – native speakers and new speakers alike – too. It is hard to see genuine equality, diversity or inclusion in this. Instead, the colonial belief that in mouths that inform us that the most important conversations can only be had if we abandon Gaelic. This is linked intrinsically to the idea that we cannot be educated or erudite unless through an Anglo-Saxon medium. But this is anti-Gaelic xenophobia and everyone wrapped up in both the aforementioned initiatives was and is guilty of it, as long as they weren’t and aren’t prepared to raise the question – where are the Gaels?

Throughout the SNP leadership contest, in Kate Forbes, Gaels throughout Scotland saw the idea of having First Minister who could be an ambassador for our language too, almost become a reality. Perhaps, for the first time, the Gaelic language might have found itself at the heart of national debate, instead of being relegated to the margins. Encouraged by this, The National has created a space for Gaelic-speakers to express their lives and views for readerships to engage with. Here you will have the opportunity to meet speakers from across the Islands and Mainland, on the first Sunday of the month.