The indigenous languages of tribal communities in Odisha, India, are at risk of extinction due to modernization and encroachment by dominant regional and national languages. Of the 21 languages spoken by these communities, 19 are on the verge of extinction. Encouragingly, young tribal individuals are recognizing the need to preserve their languages and are creating tools, mobile apps, and digital content to communicate in their mother tongues. Experts emphasize that the preservation of these indigenous languages is crucial for maintaining cultural diversity and heritage.
