Centre steps up efforts to preserve tribal languages of Tripura

The Union government has initiated several measures to safeguard and promote the tribal languages of Tripura, including Kokborok, Darlong, Ranglong, and Uchai, Union Minister of State for Tribal Affairs Durgadas Uikey informed the Lok Sabha.

Responding to a question raised by Tripura MP Kriti Devi Debbarman, Uikey said the Ministry of Tribal Affairs provides financial assistance to 29 Tribal Research Institutes (TRIs) across the country under the centrally sponsored scheme Support to Tribal Research Institutes (TRIs). This includes the Tribal Research and Cultural Institute (TR&CI) in Tripura, which has been actively working on preservation initiatives.

According to the minister, TRIs support proposals related to infrastructure, research and documentation, training, cultural festivals, heritage promotion, and exchange visits. “Publishing books on ‘Learning of Tribal languages of Tripura’ and dictionaries, publishing a literary journal ‘SAIMA’ annually and a research journal ‘TUI’ biannually, conducting seminars and workshops on indigenous tribal languages in collaboration with Tripura University, and producing audio-video documentation on tribal heritage are some of the major activities,” Uikey said.

Primers in tribal languages have also been introduced in government schools in Tripura, and the published works and documentation have been archived at TR&CI’s Social Science Library. These resources are also being uploaded for wider access.

For the financial years 2021–22 and 2024–25, a total of Rs 13 lakh was allocated for collecting articles from tribal writers, poets, and scholars, as well as for printing books and holding seminars and workshops in collaboration with Tripura University.

Uikey further highlighted the Ministry of Education’s Scheme for Protection and Preservation of Endangered Languages (SPPEL), launched in 2013 under the Central Institute of Indian Languages (CIIL), Mysuru. Under this initiative, 117 languages were identified for preservation in the first phase, including Darlong, Ranglong, and Uchai of Tripura.

The minister also pointed to the Bharatavani project, a Digital India initiative led by CIIL, which aims to make knowledge resources available in 121 Indian languages through an online portal. “Kokborok, Halam, Mogh and Chakma, spoken widely in Tripura with a rich literary tradition, hold a prominent place in the Bharatavani portal. Bharatavani is committed to digitally preserving and disseminating the knowledge of these languages,” he said.