Editor,
The northeastern corner of India, Arunachal Pradesh, is a land of varied linguistic diversity. Home to over 26 major tribes and more than 100 sub-tribes, each with its own distinct dialect, the state boasts a tapestry of languages that reflect its rich cultural heritage. Yet, beneath this diversity lies a quiet, unsettling shift: the gradual disappearance of these native languages in favour of a more widespread and dominant lingua franca: Hindi.
Arunachal has witnessed the rise of a creolised form of Hindi, colloquially known as ‘Arunachal Hindi’. This unique hybrid blends elements from various local languages, Assamese, and Hindi, and has emerged as a unifying means of communication among the state’s diverse communities. Once confined to informal settings, Arunachal Hindi has increasingly encroached upon formal spaces, including education and media, becoming a bridge between the state’s ethnic groups and integrating them into the broader Indian socio-political fabric.
However, the ascendancy of Arunachal Hindi comes at a significant cultural cost. As more and more people, especially the younger generation, adopt Hindi as their primary language, the native dialects are slowly fading into obscurity. In urban centres, where Hindi dominates, children grow up speaking it fluently, often at the expense of their ancestral languages. Even in rural areas, where native tongues once thrived, the trend is becoming evident. A survey at a government primary school revealed that despite English being the medium of instruction, students predominantly communicated in Arunachal Hindi.
This generational shift poses a serious threat to the region’s rich linguistic diversity. Take the Apatani tribe – one of the largest in the state. A native speaker shares a heartbreaking sentiment: “My sister and I can’t speak in our Apatani language anymore. I can understand it, but the younger generation, including my sister, can’t. We talk in Hindi now.” This narrative is echoed across the state as more and more native speakers of tribal languages face the grim reality that their languages may not be passed down to the next generation.
Among the warning signs of this linguistic erosion is the decline of the Tani script, a writing system created by Tony Koyu to preserve the Tani language, which encompasses the dialects of Nyishi, Mishmi, Adi, Galo, Apatani, and Tagin. The script is now largely abandoned in favour of the Roman alphabet. The shift is often attributed to the convenience of the latter in modern digital communication, but it also signifies a broader detachment from the cultural roots and heritage that the Tani script embodies.
As the languages of Arunachal fade, the loss is far greater than just the disappearance of words. Language is deeply intertwined with culture, history, and identity. Each dialect is a repository of traditional knowledge, folklore, rituals, and a worldview that has been passed down through generations. When a language dies, these invaluable cultural assets are at risk of being lost forever. Moreover, the decline in linguistic diversity diminishes the region’s ability to preserve its distinct traditions and way of life.
For the people of Arunachal, the extinction of their native languages is a painful reminder of the larger forces shaping their cultural landscape. While the rise of Hindi has brought about unity and integration into the Indian mainstream, it has also threatened the very languages that define their unique cultural identity.
Preserving these languages, along with their associated traditions, requires both collective effort and state support. Educational institutions, policymakers, and cultural organisations must work together to promote the use of native languages in schools, media, and everyday life. Preserving Arunachal’s linguistic diversity is not only crucial for the people of the state but for the world, as it enriches humanity’s understanding of the diverse ways in which people experience and interpret the world.
The extinction of a language is more than a linguistic loss; it is a loss of culture, history, and a unique way of seeing the world. The future of Arunachal’s indigenous languages hinges on a delicate balance between modernisation and preservation, and it is a challenge that the state must rise to meet.
Mai Dol Camdir