Ranglong Community Welcomes Centre’s Move to Preserve Endangered Languages, Seeks Consistent Support for Identity and Culture
The Ranglong community, one of the lesser-known tribes among Tripura’s 19 recognized tribal groups, has welcomed the Union Government’s recent assurance to strengthen efforts for the protection and preservation of endangered tribal languages, including their own endangered Ranglong language.
In a press statement issued on Friday, community representatives expressed satisfaction that the Centre has acknowledged their linguistic concerns under the Scheme for Protection and Preservation of Endangered Languages (SPPEL). The scheme, initiated in 2013 by the Central Institute of Indian Languages (CIIL), Mysore, was designed to create a digital knowledge repository of critically endangered languages through documentation, research, and publications.
Background: Ranglong Language and Its Endangered Status
The Ranglong language, referred to as Langrong in academic texts, was recorded in the Linguistic Survey of India by Dr. George A. Grierson as early as 1898. At that time, 6,266 speakers were documented. However, over the decades, the number has dwindled alarmingly. UNESCO has listed Ranglong as one of the 42 critically endangered languages of India.
The language finds mention in parliamentary records as well, with successive Union Ministers, including Smriti Irani and Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, admitting the urgent need for preservation of endangered tribal languages in the Northeast.
In a written reply to the Lok Sabha on August 21, the Ministry of Tribal Affairs confirmed that under SPPEL, the Ranglong language is among the 117 identified critically endangered tongues. The Ministry further disclosed that Rs 13 lakh had been allocated in 2021–22 and 2024–25 for activities in Tripura, including research, seminars, and publication of materials on indigenous languages.
Community Response
Welcoming the move, the Ranglong community, through its leaders, urged authorities to ensure that such allocations are not a one-time affair but part of a consistent policy framework to support smaller tribes struggling to retain their cultural identity.
The press statement, issued jointly by senior leaders including Reuben Ranglong, Namlusi (Pradhan Samajpati), Ralngamring Ranglong, Vice President of the Ranglong Youth Association, C. Ranglong of the Ranglong Customary Council, and youth leader Paul Robert Ranglong, highlighted their long-standing struggle for recognition.
“While we are grateful that the Ranglong language is now part of a larger national preservation effort, we appeal for consistent implementation and monitoring. One-time financial grants alone will not be enough to revive a language at risk of extinction,” the statement read.
Struggles of Identity Across States
Beyond linguistic decline, the Ranglongs also flagged the identity crisis they face in different northeastern states. In Tripura, they are recognized under the Halam or Tripuri tribal categories; in Assam, they are treated as part of the Kuki fold; while in Mizoram, they are subsumed within the Mizo identity.
“This fragmented recognition across states has weakened the distinct cultural and linguistic identity of the Ranglongs,” the statement noted, adding that their unique dialect has been consistently recorded in linguistic surveys since 1901, underscoring their distinctiveness.
The community demanded that their own separate identity be acknowledged officially, rather than being grouped under larger tribal classifications, which often marginalize their cultural practices.
Political Support and Community’s Appeal
The leaders acknowledged the efforts of East Tripura MP Kriti Devi Singh for raising the issue in Parliament during the recent session, which they said has amplified their concerns at the national level. They also expressed faith in the current state leadership, urging Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha and the Tribal Welfare Department to take proactive steps in addressing the gaps in recognition and in providing infrastructural and institutional support to preserve their heritage.
The leaders emphasized that language is a critical component of tribal identity. “The extinction of a language is not merely the loss of words but the erasure of an entire worldview, oral traditions, folk songs, and community knowledge systems that cannot be replicated once lost,” they stated.
Wider Context: Endangered Languages in India
India is home to over 19,500 languages or dialects, but many are at risk of extinction. According to UNESCO, a language is considered endangered when fewer and fewer children learn it as their mother tongue. In the Northeast, where smaller tribes are scattered across states and administrative categories, this risk is particularly acute.
The SPPEL initiative seeks to digitally document such languages by involving academic institutions, linguists, and native speakers. However, experts argue that preservation requires not just documentation but also promoting use of these languages in schools, local administration, and cultural programs.
Way Forward
For the Ranglongs, the Centre’s renewed attention has provided hope but also a reminder of how much work remains to be done. The community leaders have proposed that a portion of the allocated funds be used for:
-
Development of primers and textbooks in the Ranglong language.
-
Organizing community-based language workshops.
-
Recording oral traditions and folk literature for digital archiving.
-
Establishing cultural centres in Ranglong-dominated areas to promote identity and awareness.
As the community continues its struggle for recognition, the Ranglong leaders reiterated that safeguarding their language is essential to ensuring their survival as a distinct tribe in India’s diverse cultural mosaic.
|Also Read : From Kokborok to Uchai: Govt Steps Up Efforts to Safeguard Tripura’s Tribal languages |
|Also Read : Ranglong leaders urge CM to save their dying language |
