Màrtainn Mac A'Bhàillidh: Dèanamh cinnteach g um mair a’ Ghàidhlig

AM brosnaich neo-eisimeileachd am miann poilitigeach gus coimhearsnachdan seasmhach a chruthachadh anns an soirbhich a’ Ghàidhlig is a dualchas? Oir, chan eil am miann sin ann an-dràsta.

Tha staing na Gàidhlig sna coimhearsnachdan dùthchail is eileanach a cheart cho mòr na toradh air an staing thaigheadais, air malairteachadh croitearachd, droch bhun-structar còmhdhail,

ath-leasachadh fearainn gun adhartas coileanta agus tuilleadh ’s a chòir turasachd, agus a tha i na toradh air cion in-ionmhais leantainneach ann an leasachadh Gàidhlig aig ìre na coimhearsnachd, agus cion co-òrdanachaidh phoileasaidh ro-innleachdail aig ìre nàiseanta.

Càit a bheil sin a’ fàgail luchd-labhairt is luchd-iomairt na Gàidhlig? Airson na ciad uarach ann an eachdraidh na h-Alba, tha cunnart ann nach bi àite sam bith far a bheil a’ Ghàidhlig na cànan coimhearsnachd. ’S e cruaidh-chàs bitheil a tha seo airson na Gàidhlig is a dualchas. Bhitheadh e na chùis-nàire dhuinn uile, an ìmpis ar neo-eisimeileachd phoilitigeach ath-stèidheachadh, mas e Riaghaltas PNA a bhios os cionn bàs na Gàidhlig mar chànan beò coimhearsnachd.

Ge-tà, nam biodh miann poilitigeach, agus ceannardas prataigeach ro-innleachdail ann, dh’fhaodadh an cruaidh-chàs seo fhuasgladh.

O chionn ghoirid, shoilleirich Misneachd gun do dh’fhulaing maoineachadh Bhòrd na Gàidhlig gearradh 30% eadar 2008 agus 2021, a rèir na h-atmhorachd, le buidseat iomlain na Gàidhlig a’ fulang gearradh de 15% thairis air an aon ùine. Gun umhail air an structar poileasaidh is poilitigeach, tha cruaidh fheum air meudachadh susbainteach cabhagach ann am buidseat leasachadh coimhearsnachd na Gàidhlig.

Cha mhair a’ Ghàidhlig beò ach ann an coimhearsnachdan a shoirbhicheas gu seasmhach. Tha fios againn bhon t-seanfhacal gheur-chùiseach gun toir e baile gus pàiste a thogail, ga shìneadh ma-tà, faodar a ràdh gun toir e coimhearsnachd sheasmhach fhallain gus cànan a ghlèidheadh is a leasachadh. Sin as coireach gum feumar am frèam-obrach poileasaidh atharrachadh. Tha Misneachd air molaidhean farsaing fhoillseachadh airson ghnìomhan a ghabhadh cur an sàs sa Mhanifesto againn an 2021. Gheall manifesto a’ PhNA fhèin gun dèanar sgrùdadh air stèidheachadh sgìrean ‘Gàidhealtachd’ aithnichte, a’ togail air a’ mhodail Èireannach. Air a chur an sàs gu ceart, dh’fhaodadh am poileasaidh seo cumhachd is comas a thoirt do choimhearsnachdan a’ mhargaidh taigheadais a riaghailteachadh, cruthachadh obraichean a thaiceadh agus an eaconamaidh ionadail eugsamhlachadh.

Creididh Misneachd, ann am prionnsabal, ann an àrachadh choimhearsnachdan. Creididh sinn gun gabhadh ‘inbhe Gàidhealtachd’ dealbhadh a chuireadh taic ri leasachadh coimhearsnachd aig ìre ionadail, ann an sgìrean ‘Gàidhealtachd’ dùthchasach, agus ann an ‘Lìonraidhean Cànain’ bailteil, ag àrachadh nan coimhearsnachdan seo gus gnìomhan a dhèanamh a rèir an t-suidheachaidh ionadail aca fhèin.

Cho mòr ’s a tha an dì-chumhachdachadh a bhios coimhearsnachdan Gàidhlig a’ faireachdainn an-dràsta, gum feumadh rianachd ‘Gàidhealtachd’ a bhith fada na bu dheamocrataiche na buidhnean le maoineachadh stàite an-dràsta. Bu chòir buidseadan com-pàirteachaidh a chleachdadh agus bu chòir co-chomainn eaconamach a stèidheachadh air an ruith leis am ballrachd, a’ leantainn cleachdadh as fheàrr ann an àrachadh coimhearsnachd gu h-eadar-nàiseanta.

Chan e ceann-uidhe turasachd a-mhàin a th’ sa Ghàidhealtachd is na h-Eileanan, bidh iad mar-thà a’ cruthachadh na h-uimhir de chumhachd ath-nuadhachail, chruthaich Roinn na Gàidhealtachd 552% de chleachdadh dealain na sgìre fhèin ann an 2020, timcheall air 7722GWh. Tha tasgadh aibhseach sa Ghàidhealtachd is comas ‘mòr-chaochladh Lùthas Uaine na h-Alba’ a chruthachadh, is an gluasad air falbh bho ola is gas a stiùireadh. Dìreach mar a bhuannaich Arcaibh agus Sealtainn buannachdan eaconamach às na goireasan ionadail aca fhèin, tha e riatanach gum buannaich A’ Ghàidhealtachd is na h-Eileanan Siar am mac-samhladh, a thaobh cumhachd ath-nuadhachail, de Mhaoin Ola Shealtainn gus an coimhearsnachdan is an cultar a dhìon agus a leasachadh.

Bidh na siostaman eaconamach is poilitigeach san Rìoghachd Aonaichte a’ tarraing cumhachd is beairteas don mheadhan, a’ dèanamh àrainneachd a tha nàimhdeil do choimhearsnachdan dùthchail mhion-chànan. Chan fheum na Gàidheil air Gàidhealtachd is sna h-Eileanan carthannas, tha feum aca air àrainneachd phoilitigeach is phoileasaidh a leigeas leis an coimhearsnachdan buannachd fhaighinn às a’ mhòr-chaochladh Lùths Ath-nuadhachail às aonais nan cìsean taraif cronail a th’ orra gus dealan a chur don ghriod nàiseanta, às aonais nam bilichean lùths as àirde sa RA agus nan ìrean as àirde de bhochdainn connaidh.

Tha a’ Ghàidhlig feumach air margaidh taigheadais a leigeas leis a luchd-labhairt dachaighean a cheannach no a ghabhail air mhàl agus a leigeas leotha clann a thogail le seans reusanta gun tèid aca air fuireach sa choimhearsnachd aca fhèin. Tha i feumach air ath-leasachadh fearainn farsaing agus radaigeach, cìs adhartach air Luach Talmhainn gus dèanamh cinnteach gum faigh muinntir na Gàidhealtachd seilbh air an talamh fhèin, is gum faigh iad buannachd às.

Bu chòir dha a bhith follaiseach don luchd-poilitigs gu bheil an suidheachadh sa Ghàidhealtachd is na h-Eileanan a-nis aig ìre èiginneach. Chan eil sinne nar n-aonar an seo a’ fulang culaidh-iongantais neo-fhiosraichte nach fhacas roimhe. Tha buaidh aig seilbh air dàrna taighean, màl geàrr-ùineach, ‘àiteachas màil’ agus co-roinneadh ionmhais neo-chothromach air feadh an t-saoghail. An àitichean eile san RA, chithear sa Chuimrigh, sa Chòrn, agus sa Lake District a’ bhuaidh a th’ aig na trioblaidean seo air coimhearsnachdan - mùchar iad is bàsaichidh iad. Chithear cuideachd a’ bhuaidh air a’ Ghàidhlig a th’ aig co-roinneadh ionmhais neo-chothromach, agus am fuadach eaconamach a tha na thoradh air, air feadh na dùthcha, bho Shiorrachd Pheairt agus Earra-Ghàidheal gu Muile, An t-Eilean Sgitheanach, agus a-nis sna Hearadh is Uibhist.

Fhad ’s a tha còir aig an t-suidheachadh sa Chuimrigh agus eile rabhadh a thoirt dhuinn air cho dona ’s a dh’fhaodadh cùisean fhàs, faodaidh e cuideachd sealltainn dhuinn na ghabhadh dèanamh gus an cruaidh-chàs fhuasgladh. An Deàrsaidh, an Eileanan Caolas Shasainn, agus gu ìre sa Lake District tha riatanas ann dearbhadh gur ann sna sgìrean sin a tha thu a’ fuireach, no gun d’ fhuair thu obair san sgìre mus tèid agad air taigh a cheannach. Is urrainn do sgeamaichean ceadachd agus Sgìrean Smachdachaidh air mhàl geàrr-ùineach margaidh fa-leth a chruthachadh airson dachaighean agus taighean màil.

Tha fuasglaidhean ann a ghabhas cur an sàs. ’S e a tha dhìth ach am miann gus na gnìomhan a tha riatanach a dhèanamh a nì cinnteach gum mair a’ Ghàidhlig agus a dualchas, agus làmh ri sin a ghlèidheas seasmhachd ar coimhearsnachdan dùthchail is eileanach.

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The survival of the Gaelic language

WILL independence create the political will to deliver sustainable communities in which the Gaelic language and culture can thrive? Because that political will doesn’t seem to exist at present.

The Gaelic crisis in rural and island communities is as much a product of the rural housing crisis, the commodification of crofting, poor transport infrastructure, stalled progress on land reform and an over-reliance on tourism, as it is a result of a chronic lack of investment in Gaelic development at a community level, and a lack of strategic policy co-ordination at a national level.

Where does this leave Gaelic speakers and campaigners? For the first time in Scotland’s history, there is a danger that soon there will be no place where Gaelic is the default language of any community. This is an existential crisis for the Gaelic language and culture. It would be to our great shame if, on the cusp of restoring our political independence, an SNP Government presides over the death of Gaelic as a habitual living community language.

However, if there was political will and realistic, strategic leadership, this crisis could be addressed.

Misneachd recently highlighted that Bòrd na Gàidhlig’s funding has suffered a real-terms cut of 30% between 2008 and 2021, adjusting for inflation, with the total Gaelic budget suffering a 15% cut over the same period. Regardless of the political and policy framework, substantial increases in the Gaelic community development budget are urgently required.

Gaelic will only survive and thrive in communities which can survive and thrive sustainably. We know from the perceptive proverb that it takes a village to raise a child – by extension then, it takes a healthy, sustainable community to retain and develop a language. That’s why the wider policy framework needs to change. Misneachd has published extensive recommendations for action, most recently in our 2021 manifesto. The SNP’s own 2021 manifesto committed to explore the creation of recognised “Gàidhealtachd” areas, based on the Irish model. Properly implemented, this policy could afford communities the power to regulate the local housing market, support job creation and diversify local economies. Misneachd believes, in principle, in empowering communities. We believe that a “Gàidhealtachd status” could be designed to support community development at a local level, in core “Gàidhealtachd” areas, as well as in urban “Language Networks”, empowering these different communities to act according to their local circumstance.

Such is the disempowerment currently experienced by Gaelic-speaking communities that any “Gàidhealtachd” administration would have to be considerably more democratic than state-funded institutions are at present. Participatory budgeting models should be employed, and economic co-operatives run by their members should be established, following best practice in grassroots community empowerment internationally.

The Highlands and Islands are not just a tourist destination, they already produce huge amounts of renewable energy – the Highland region produced 552% of the area’s own electricity usage in 2020, around 7722GWh. There is massive potential in the Gàidhealtachd to create Scotland’s Green Energy revolution and lead the move away from oil and gas. Just as Orkney and Shetland secured economic benefits from their local resources, the Highlands and Western Isles must secure the renewables equivalent of the Shetland Oil Fund to protect and develop their communities and culture.

The UK economic and political systems centralise power and wealth, creating an ecosystem hostile to rural minority language communities. The Gaels in the Highlands and Islands don’t need hand-outs, they need a political and policy environment which allows their communities to benefit from the renewable energy revolution without crippling feed-in tariffs, the highest energy bills in the UK and the highest levels of fuel poverty.

Gaelic needs a housing market that lets its speakers buy or rent homes and raise children with a realistic chance of living and working in their own community. It needs far-reaching and radical land reform, and a progressive Land Value Tax to ensure the people of the Highlands own, manage and benefit from their own land. It should be obvious to politicians that the situation in the Highlands and Islands is critical. We are not uniquely suffering from a new, unknown phenomenon here. Second home ownership, short-term let “rent farming” and inequitable wealth distribution have a global impact. Elsewhere in the UK, we can see in Wales, Cornwall and the Lake District the impact these factors have on communities – they are suffocated and die. The impact on the Gaelic language of inequitable distribution of wealth, and the resulting economic clearance, can be seen across the country, from Perthshire and Argyll to Mull, Skye, and now recent strongholds like Harris and Uist.

While the situation in Wales and elsewhere should serve as a warning of how bad things can get, it can also demonstrate what can be done to address the crisis. In Jersey, and to some extent in the Lake District, there is a requirement to prove residence in the area, or an offer of employment, before you are permitted to purchase property. Licensing schemes and Short-Term Let Control Areas can create a separate market for residential and rental properties.

Solutions exist and can be implemented. What is lacking is a willingness to take the action necessary to ensure the survival of the Gaelic language and culture, and with that, to ensure the sustainability of our rural and island communities.

Misneachd is a Scotland-wide independent grassroots advocacy group established in 2016, campaigning to raise awareness of challenges faced by Gaelic speaking communities, to encourage radical effective solutions and to strengthen the daily use of Gaelic in the communities. Misneachd also promote Gaelic and its speakers as part of wider struggles for social and environmental justice