The Government of India has initiated a
Scheme known as “Protection and Preservation of Endangered Languages of
India”. Under this Scheme, the Central Institute of Indian Languages (CIIL),
Mysore works on protection, preservation and documentation of all the mother
tongues/languages of India spoken by less than 10,000 speakers keeping in mind
the degree of endangerment and reduction in the domains of usage.
According
to the criteria adopted by the UNESCO, a language becomes extinct when nobody speaks or remembers the
language. The UNESCO has categorized languages on basis of endangerment as
follows:-
(i) Vulnerable
(ii)
Definitely
Endangered
(iii)
Severely
Endangered
(iv)
Critically
Endangered
The Critically Endangered Languages as per UNESCO Report
are:
LANGUAGE/DIALECT SPOKEN
MAINLY IN
1.
Aimol Manipur
2.
Aka Manipur
3.
Baghati Himachal Pradesh
4.
Bangani Uttarakhand
5.
Bellari Karnataka
6.
Birhor Jharkhand
7.
Gadaba Andhra Pradesh
8.
Great Andamanese Andaman
& Nicobar
9.
Handuri Himachal Pradesh
10. Jarawa Andaman
& Nicobar
11. Koireng Manipur
12. Koraga Karnataka
13. Kota Tamil Nadu
14. Kuruba Karnataka
15. Lamgang Manipur
16. Lamongse Andaman
& Nicobar
17. Langrong Manipur
18. Luro Andaman
& Nicobar
19. Manda Odisha
20. Mra Arunachal
Pradesh
21. Muot Andaman
& Nicobar
22. Na Arunachal
Pradesh
23. Naiki Maharashtra,
Andhra Pradesh
24. Nihali Maharashtra
25. Onge Andaman
& Nicobar
26. Pangvali Himachal
Pradesh
27. Parji Odisha
28. Pengo Odisha
29. Pu Andaman
& Nicobar
30. Purum Manipur
31. Ruga Meghalaya
32. Sanenyo Andaman
& Nicobar
33. Sentilese Andaman
& Nicobar
34. Shompen Andaman
& Nicobar
35. Sirmaudi Himachal
Pradesh
36. Tai Nora Assam
37. Tai Rong Assam
38. Takahanyilang Andaman
& Nicobar
39. Tangam Arunachal
Pradesh
40. Tarao Manipur
41. Toda Tamil Nadu
42. Toto West
Bengal
This information was given by the Union Human Resource
Development Minister, Smt. Smriti Irani in a written reply to the Lok Sabha
question.
*****
MC/DS/SM- languages of india