Tribal languages struggle to survive in Arunachal

Despite official support, challenges remain. With English and Hindi dominating classrooms and digital media reshaping entertainment even in remote villages, younger generations often shy away from their ancestral tongues

- PRESS TRUST OF INDIA

In a wooden house on the misty slopes of Taksing village in Upper Subansiri district of Arunachal Pradesh, 72-year-old Chakiap Bai leans forward and hums a lullaby in Nah, a language spoken by barely a few hundred people.

His granddaughter listens with curiosity, but when asked to repeat the lines, she replies in Hindi.

Tribal elders in remote villages of the northeastern state fear their ancestral songs and stories may vanish forever as children increasingly abandon their mother tongues.

Home to more than 40 languages and over 100 dialects, the state is one of India's richest linguistic landscapes. Yet many of its tongues are teetering on the brink of extinction.