The Central government has stepped up measures to preserve and promote Tripura’s indigenous tribal languages, including Kokborok, Darlong, Ranglong, and Uchai.
Responding to an un-starred question by Tripura MP Kriti Devi Debbarman in the Lok Sabha, Union Minister of State for Tribal Affairs Durgadas Uikey said that the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, under its centrally sponsored scheme Support to Tribal Research Institutes (TRIs), provides financial assistance to 29 TRIs across the country, including the Tribal Research and Cultural Institute (TR&CI), Tripura.
Under this scheme, funds are extended for infrastructure, research, documentation, training, capacity-building programmes, tribal festivals, cultural yatras, and exchange visits—all aimed at preserving languages, traditions, and rituals. The Minister highlighted that TRIs function under the administrative control of the respective State governments or Union Territory administrations.
Detailing the initiatives taken by TR&CI, Tripura, the Minister said:
Books, dictionaries, and primers on tribal languages of Tripura are being published.
A literary journal SAIMA is released annually in tribal languages.
A biannual research journal TUI is published.
Seminars and workshops on indigenous languages and dialects are conducted in collaboration with Tripura University, with proceedings documented and published.
Audio-video documentation of tribal heritage and preparation of notations of tribal folk songs are being carried out.
He further informed that primers in tribal languages have already been introduced in government-run schools of Tripura. These books and documentation are preserved in the Social Science Library of TR&CI and are also being digitised.
“In the financial years 2021-22 and 2024-25, a total of ₹13 lakh was allocated for collecting articles on tribal languages from eminent writers, poets, and authors of Tripura, printing books, and organising seminars and workshops in collaboration with Tripura University,” Uikey said.
In addition, the Ministry of Education is implementing the Scheme for Protection and Preservation of Endangered Languages (SPPEL) through the Central Institute of Indian Languages (CIIL), Mysuru. Launched in 2013, the scheme identified 117 languages for preservation, including Tripura’s Darlong, Ranglong, and Uchai.
The Minister also pointed out that as part of the Digital India initiative, CIIL is running the Bharatavani Project, which hosts knowledge resources in 121 Indian languages—22 Scheduled and 99 Non-Scheduled—on its online portal. Kokborok, Halam, Mogh, and Chakma, spoken in Tripura and known for their literary traditions, are featured prominently on the platform.
“Bharatavani is committed to digitally preserving and disseminating knowledge of these languages,” Uikey added.
