These 9 Rare Indian Languages Are Disappearing But Not Without a Fight

India is home to hundreds of indigenous languages, many facing extinction. Each language holds a special culture and history at risk of being lost forever.

1. Toto Spoken by fewer than 1,500 people near the India-Bhutan border, Toto is a Sino-Tibetan language with its own script, making it culturally distinct.

2. Gorum With only a few speakers left in Odisha and Andhra Pradesh, Gorum is on the brink of extinction, reflecting broader shifts in tribal cultures.

3. Bhumij Once widespread in Jharkhand, Odisha, and West Bengal, Bhumij now has about 27,500 speakers and faces decline despite revival efforts.

4. Birhor Used by the semi-nomadic Birhor tribe in central India, this language struggles as communities settle, threatening their forest-based lifestyle.

5. Hmar Spoken in Northeast India, Hmar’s survival is challenged by dominant languages, though digital tools are aiding its preservation.

6. Hill Miri Spoken by the Hill Miri community, a subgroup of the Nyishi tribe in Arunachal Pradesh, this Tani language faces decline due to scarce documentation.

7. Kolami A Dravidian tongue spoken in Maharashtra and Telangana, Kolami is endangered, with community efforts underway to document and revive it.

8. Sare A Great Andamanese language, Sare, disappeared after its last speaker died in 2020, reminding us of the fragility of India’s linguistic heritage.

9. Gondi With about 2.3 million speakers, Gondi is comparatively larger but still endangered, digitisation projects aim to preserve and revitalise it.

Each endangered language carries irreplaceable knowledge, traditions, and worldviews. Preserving them is important to safeguarding India’s rich cultural mosaic.