AASU Signs MoU to Digitally Safeguard Three Endangered Indigenous Languages of Assam

The All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) took a significant step toward preserving the state’s rich linguistic heritage by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with a Guwahati-based foundation on Wednesday. The signing ceremony took place at Swahid Bhawan and marked the launch of a unique initiative to digitally preserve three of Assam’s critically endangered indigenous languages—Khamyang, Tai Phake, and Singpho—under the banner of the “Digitalizing Assam” initiative.

This five-month pilot project is designed to archive literature in these languages, each spoken by fewer than 10,000 people. The initiative is part of a larger, community-driven platform that seeks to safeguard Assam’s diverse linguistic landscape through modern digital tools. By doing so, AASU aims to protect these languages from extinction and ensure that future generations have access to the cultural and linguistic wealth of the region.

The project will be guided by noted endangered language expert Palash Kumar Nath, who will oversee the process of documentation, indexing, and archiving of linguistic content. AASU emphasized that the involvement of local communities will be central to the initiative, with native speakers and elders contributing their knowledge and oral traditions to help build a comprehensive digital repository.

Once digitised, the linguistic material will be uploaded to the “Digitalizing Assam” web platform, where it will be freely accessible to the public. This open-source approach aims to encourage both academic research and public engagement with Assam’s lesser-known languages.

Field studies conducted by the team have raised serious concerns about the urgency of the project. According to these studies, the Khamyang language is nearing extinction, with reportedly only one individual remaining who is fully proficient in reading, writing, and speaking the language. “Beyond this person, the living thread of the language may be lost entirely,” AASU warned in an official statement, highlighting the dire need for preservation efforts.

Beyond digital archiving, AASU has plans to explore long-term revitalisation strategies for these languages. These efforts are to be taken up under the framework of Clause VI of the Assam Accord during forthcoming consultations with the state government. Clause VI provides constitutional, legislative, and administrative safeguards to protect the cultural, social, and linguistic identity and heritage of the Assamese people.

The MoU was officially signed by AASU President Utpal Sarma, General Secretary Samiran Phukon, and Mrinal Talukdar, Secretary of the partner foundation. The signing ceremony was attended by AASU’s Chief Advisor Samujjal Bhattacharjya, who has long advocated for the protection of Assam’s indigenous knowledge systems.

So far, the “Digitalizing Assam” initiative has digitised over 2.9 million pages of rare Assamese literature, making them available as open-source resources to scholars and the public alike. “This collaboration between students and citizens is a vital step to ensure that Assam’s endangered knowledge systems remain accessible to future generations,” AASU stated, expressing optimism about the future of the project and its potential to inspire similar efforts across the state.