'Save Tarao Tribe from extinction'
Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, November 26 2014:
The President of Tarao Culture Literature Society of Manipur, L Morre urged the government to preserve the Tarao language which has been reduced to a language spoken by less than a thousand people.
Speaking to media persons at Imphal Movie Club yesterday, L.Morre said that UNESCO had declared the Tarao language as extinct in 2009.Earlier there were 50 families at Sanakeithel in Ukhrul district.
But during the time of MK Priyobarta, 40 families were brought to Chandel and only 10 remained in Ukhrul.
He also said that Dr RK Nimai representing the state government had also made efforts to re-organise the scattered Tarao people from Tarao Laimanai, Leishokching, Khuringmul and Heikakpokpi areas.
Meanwhile the Convenor of Tribal and Endangered Language Promotion Board, Dr Chandramani said, "Though the extinction of Tarao language was declared in a report by the UNESCO in 2009, I have conducted a research under the Ministry of Human Resource Development which had revealed that the language is still being spoken by a little less than a thousand people".
The Tarao representatives appealed to the government to make efforts for saving the Tarao language and culture from extinction.
The press conference was organized by Tarao Tribe Union, Tarao Culture Literature Society along with Tribal and Endangered Languages Promotion Board.