I suggest that either your colleagues don't know what they're talking about, they're teasing you or you misunderstood what they were saying.
"Complete Twaddle" is a phrase that springs to mind.
ABAP was first pronounced dead 15 years ago when Java was being pushed. Now Web Dynpro Java is not being developed further, but Web Dynpro for ABAP continues. If ABAP is dead, why are SAP offering the ABAP Development Toolkit, specifically aimed at using ABAP with HANA? And why are they offering courses in HANA friendly ABAP-programming.