Ethnic languages of Northeast facing threat, says experts

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: Around 80 indigenous and ethnic languages of the North East are facing the risk of extinction due to non-use and dominance of English and Hindi in different spheres of life including education.

Language expert Dr Arup Kumar Nath — who teaches at Tezpur University — told The Sentinel that many indigenous languages in Assam and other north-eastern States are now only confined to traditional rituals. He said that the usage of these languages is seen only during prayers and cultural practices. Such languages are not spoken during daily lives, he pointed out.

Of the 300 indigenous and ethnic languages that exist in the North East, around 80 are in the endangered category. According to Dr Pangersenia Walling from Nagaland University, around 187 languages in India are on the verge of extinction. Of the total endangered languages in the country, 64 are in NE India.

Dr Nath said even that though the forefathers of the Ahoms — a dominant community in Assam — brought the Tai-origin languages from the present-day Myanmar, the majority section of the community now do not speak their original language. The Tai-origin languages are now used only when there are religious and traditional rituals.

The study made by DrNath has suggested that while there are around 40 endangered languages in Arunachal Pradesh, there are 15 to 20 such endangered languages in Assam. He also said that non-use of the indigenous languages in the day-to-day use may not only lead to the loss of culture and linguistic identity but also the traditional knowledge system.

Citing an example, Dr Nath said that traditional knowledge of the movement of wind, sea and birds had saved the five indigenous tribes on the Indian archipelago of Andaman and Nicobar islands from the tsunami that hit the Asian coastline in 2004. "When the ancient local languages are not used, such unique traditional knowledge is also lost. There are many examples of the loss of traditional knowledge," he added.

A language expert in Gauhati University pointed out that though many ethnic communities in Assam want the Scheduled Tribe (ST) status yet they do not speak their original languages.

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