BHUBANESWAR: Odisha’s Scheduled Tribe communities speak 72 dialects, broadly grouped into 38 languages, making the state one of India’s richest tribal linguistic landscapes.But tribal language experts warn that many languages spoken by the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) are now endangered or on the verge of extinction, as younger generations increasingly shift to dominant languages, threatening centuries of oral traditions, folklore and indigenous knowledge.Just six tribal languages spoken in the state namely, Santali, Ho, Saora, Mundari and Kui, have a written script, with Santali being the only one included in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution.Nationally acclaimed tribal expert AB Ota said, “Three of Odisha’s 13 PVTGs, the Lodhas, Hill Khadias and Paudi Bhuyans, have mostly shifted to Odia over the years. Among the remaining communities, the languages spoken by the Mankidias, Kutia Kondhs, Didayis and Chuktia Bhunjias are considered critically endangered, while those of the Saoras, Bondas, Dongria Kondhs and Birhors are classified as endangered.”Ota added that Odisha is the first state in the country to have prepared learning materials and implemented Multi-Lingual Education (MLE), but it should recruit language teachers proficient in tribal languages at the lower primary level and make mother tongue learning more engaging through wall paintings, multilingual pictorial books and additional culturally relevant teaching material on tribal folklore and traditions.Equally important, he said, is creating awareness within tribal communities about the need to preserve their linguistic and cultural identity.Tribal language expert Paramanand Patel agrees. He said the initiative continues to face a shortage of teachers proficient in tribal languages.While the govt provides language training to teachers from an Odia-medium background, he said such short-term training cannot substitute for native speakers or ensure the effective transmission of tribal languages to children.
