In a quiet village in eastern Arunachal Pradesh, 74-year-old Thamcha is the last known fluent speaker of the Kman language. Her grandchildren understand some of it, but they reply in Hindi or English. “No one speaks it fully anymore,” she says with a sigh.
Kman is just one of over 200 tribal languages in Northeast India, many of which are now critically endangered. From the Tangkhul of Manipur to the Bodo of Assam, the region holds one of the richest and most diverse linguistic heritages in India. Yet, a growing number of these tongues are teetering on the brink of extinction.
The reasons are layered. Urban migration, formal education in dominant languages, and pop culture assimilation have eroded everyday use. English is now the default in many schools, especially private ones. Parents worry that using tribal languages at home might disadvantage their kids academically.
Linguist Dr. Pawan Chettri explains: “When a language disappears, we lose more than grammar. We lose folklore, medicinal knowledge, and a worldview.”
In response, a cultural revival is taking root. In Nagaland, youth collectives are creating YouTube videos in local dialects. In Shillong, music artists are incorporating Khasi and Garo lyrics into hip-hop. Arunachal schools are beginning to offer optional tribal language classes.
Digital tools are proving game-changers. Mobile dictionaries, apps like ‘TribalVoice,’ and storytelling podcasts are helping archive languages. NGOs like Living Tongues Institute are working to document and teach endangered scripts.
But documentation alone is not enough. Language needs space in homes, markets, and media. Community radio stations can play a role, as can school assemblies, festivals, and signage in public places.
Saving these tongues isn’t just nostalgia. It’s resistance. It’s identity. It’s survival.
“When we lose a language, we lose a part of ourselves,” says 21-year-old Lidia from Kohima. “But when we speak it again, we reclaim our roots.”
