Imphal, August 03 2010: A State native working at a Mysore-based institute has doubted authenticity of a UNESCO report whereby languages of some indigenous tribes/community of Manipur have been listed as extinct.

The latest compilation of UNESCO's report is informed to have classified languages spoken by people such as Aimol, Andro/Phayeng, Chairel and Tarao of Manipur as no more in practice while forecasting that more indigenous languages would be extinct.

According to the UNESCO report under the 'List of endangered languages as in the online version of the World Atlas of endangered language (vis-a-vis census 2009) Aimol, Andro/Phayeng, Chairel/Chakpa and Tarao have extinct.

In the backdrop of this report by the UN body, Dr Th Chandramani Singh, who is here in the State for documentation on the matter said there is no validation on what basis the UNESCO contention is based as it made no mention of either media or survey report.

Dr Chandramani is one of the Chief Resource persons of Centre for Tribal and Endangered Languages, which is under the Mysore-based Central Institute of Indian Languages (CIIL), an institute under the HRD Ministry.

Speaking to some newspersons on the sideline of the research visit, Dr Chandramani enlisted 15 Aimol villages in the North Eastern region with two each in Chandel, Churachandpur and Senapati districts of Manipur, one each in Balisor and Noksha village under Kachar district of Assam.

Aimols settled in Assam, however converse in Sairem dialect, an assimilation of languages spoken by Hmar and other tribes, he informed and speculated that the UNESCO report might be based on findings of scholars whose ambit of research could have been limited to Assam areas only.

Dr Chandramani accompanied by his technical assistant FM Basha would be staying in the State for further studies on the UNESCO report and as a part of the CIIL initiative the duo reached out to Aimol Khullen in Chandel district today.

Annoyed with the UNESCO report, Aimol Tribe Union president Athoi Bongte reminded that Aimols are still settled in 15 villages in the State and the tribe had been upholding not only linguistic identity but also protecting its identity and traditions.

Excluding those settled in Assam, population of Aimol tribe is a little over 4000, he informed.

Interacting with the visiting team, chairman of Aimol Literature Society SL Warte referred to folklores of Aimol's origin in China whose present place of settlement in Chandel district transcended journeys through Myanmar and Lushai Hills.

It is speculated that Aimols settled in Manipur in the 17 century.

Conveying that Aimols have their own Hymnal songs, Warte informed that Aimol version of the Bible's New Testament would be published soon under the auspices of Bible Society of India, Shillong.

Further maintaining that Aimol Baptist Association has been granted recognition by the Manipur Baptist Convention in February 8, 2009, Warte also pointed out that a Manipur University research scholar namely Shamungou has conducted extensive study on Aimol culture and tradition under a thesis entitled 'A Descriptive Grammar of aimol'.

With reference to the above facts, he described as the UNESCO report as unfortunate and called for remedial measures.

On his part, Dr Chandramani assured the Aimol elders that he would make a thorough study in order to contribute his mite in restoring status quo of the Aimols.

He also asserted that his research work would cover studies with regard to threat of linguistic extinction of Moyon/Mayol/Mayon/Tarao/Purum tribes, as had been enlisted in the UNESCO report.

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