The five endangered languages of Northeast India

Due to continued rural flight and intercultural mixing, along with a general lack of action by the authorities, many languages ​​in the Northeast are under threat.

Despite some measures, some languages ​​did not. The last speaker of Meghalaya’s Ruga died in the late 2000s. In 2012, The Hindu reported four speakers of Tripura’s Saimar, marking it as “Critically Endangered”. As of 2015, there is no news about its progress.
Still, steps have been taken to prevent languages ​​from becoming endangered in the future. Tinang was introduced as a third vernacular in private schools in Upper Subansiri, Arunachal. Meanwhile, the Ao language of Nagaland is being taught through Languages ​​Home, and a dedicated Facebook group. In 2012, UNESCO withdrew Khasi as an endangered language, deeming it “protected”.

Following are the endangered Northeast languages ​​that need our attention.
Aimol, Manipur
There are only 6,000 speakers of this Tibeto-Burman language, the majority of whom are concentrated in eastern Manipur. Scholars believe that Amul is derived from “Ai” meaning wild turmeric, and “Mul” meaning the hill where turmeric is found. The language spoken by the Amul tribe has witnessed efforts by the local Christian majority. The community has printed the New Testament in Amul, as well as preserved samples of Bible passages through audio recordings.

Mara or Mra, Arunachal Pradesh
Mara is spoken by the Mara tribe in Arunachal. This minority tribal group is mainly located in Limeking, Upper Subansiri and is often confused with Tagins. Only 350 people speak Mara. Some say it is not a separate language, but a dialect of Bangni-Tagin. Nevertheless, The Wire reports that the Central Institute of Indian Languages ​​is “working for the preservation and conservation” of Mra, along with other endangered languages, under a “central scheme”.

Tarao, Manipur
Tarao is spoken by the minority Tarao tribe of Manipur. According to Ethnologue, it spans four villages including Heikakpokpi and Sinakeithei. First Post noted it as 830 speakers, while the Imphal Free Press claimed it was 900/1,066. But Tarao will not go down without a fight as the youth keep it alive through cultural shows. Tarao is said to have resided in Manipur from 1075 AD. Their folk songs and traditions suggest that they belong to Burma.

Tai Khamyang, Assam
Khamyang is a “Critically Endangered” language spoken by only 50 people! All the speakers live in Powaimukh village in Tinsukia district of Assam. The language belongs to the Kra-Dai family which has its roots in Southeast Asia. Sadly, there is no sign of the language spreading as all the speakers are elderly villagers who speak it only when communicating with each other or during formal events.

Purum, Manipur
Manipur has many languages ​​that are officially considered “endangered”. One of them is Puram, a Kuki-Chin language spoken in the Kangpokpi district of Manipur (Kuki-Chin is a branch of 50 Sino-Tibetan languages ​​in Northeast India). Puram is the smallest of Manipur’s 33 tribes, and is spoken by only 276 people as of 2016.