The Nagaland University’s Dept of Linguistics in collaboration with CIIL, Mysore, is organizing two-day national conference on “India as a Linguistic Area: Special Reference to Northeastern Languages”. The conference is aimed at exploring the linguistic diversity and shared features of Indian languages with focus on those from the Northeastern region. The inaugural program was held on February 13, 2025, at the Conference Hall, Department of Linguistics. Chaired by Dr. Arenkala Ao, Asst. Prof., Dept. of Linguistics, the welcome note was delivered by Prof. Pangersenla Walling, Head, Dept of Linguistics. Prof. Walling welcomed the attendees and highlighted the shared linguistic features across Indian languages despite their division into six language families and emphasized the concept of India as a linguistic area.
Prof. G.T. Thong, Pro Vice-Chancellor, Nagaland University, Kohima Campus in his opening remarks addressed the vast multilingual society of India. He attributed this multilingualism to evolving language communities and sociolinguistic transformations over the centuries. Prof. Thong spoke about the congregation and integration of diverse linguistic groups through migration and cultural exchanges, leading to the shared linguistic features seen today.
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Prof. Shailendra Mohan, Director, CIIL, Mysore, greeted the attendees and addressed the current language situation in India. He encouraged further research on Indian languages, emphasizing the need to document and study the linguistic diversity of the country.
Meiraba Takhellambam, Asst. Prof., Manipur University, presented the notion of language endangerment, focusing on the languages in Sikkim. He presented data from the 1951 census, stressing that only major languages are represented while minor languages are often ignored. He highlighted the issue of Nepali having a high percentage of speakers, resulting in the grouping of minor languages under Nepali, thus making it a major language. Dr. Waikhom Pinky Devi delivered the vote of thanks, expressing gratitude to all participants, and organizers for their contributions to the successful inauguration of the conference. The inaugural program set the stage for insightful discussions over the two-day conference, emphasizing the importance of preserving linguistic diversity and promoting further research on the languages of India.
