Forced SUPPPRESSION and EXTINCTION of the native languages of Tamil Nadu

**Some of those languages:** **1. The Badaga Language** The Badaga community, residing predominantly in the Nilgiri Hills, spoke the Badaga language a southern Dravidian tongue closely related to Kannada. Despite its uniqueness, the lack of official recognition and educational support led to a decline in its usage among younger generations. The community's shift towards Tamil for socioeconomic mobility further endangered Badaga. (*https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Badaga\_language)* **2. The Kota Language** Spoken by the Kota people of the Nilgiris, the Kota language saw a significant decrease in speakers, dwindling to about 900 individuals. The dominance of Tamil in educational and administrative domains marginalized Kota, limiting its transmission to future generations. (*https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kota\_language\_%28India%29)* **3. The Toda Language** The Toda community, native to the Nilgiri Hills, communicated in the Toda language, noted for its unique phonetic characteristics. Despite its cultural significance, the language faced extinction due to the pervasive influence of Tamil and the absence of institutional support for Toda language education. (*https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toda\_language)* **4. The Irula Language** The Irula people, primarily found in Tamil Nadu, had their own language, Irula. With a population of over 189,000, the community experienced a linguistic shift towards Tamil, driven by socioeconomic pressures and the lack of educational resources in their native tongue. *(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irula\_people)* **5. The Narikurava Language** The Narikurava community, traditionally nomadic hunters, spoke Vagriboli. Historical stigmatization and the absence of official recognition led to the community adopting Tamil for better integration, resulting in the erosion of their native language. *(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narikurava)* **6. The Kanikkaran Language** The Kanikkaran tribe's language was among those identified as endangered in Tamil Nadu. The community's gradual assimilation into mainstream Tamil society, coupled with the lack of educational materials in their language, accelerated its decline. *(https://www.dtnext.in/tamilnadu/2020/02/09/many-of-the-native-languages-turning-feeble-in-the-state)* **7. The Kadar Language** The Kadar community's language was listed among the state's endangered tongues. The imposition of Tamil in educational and administrative spheres marginalized Kadar, leading to its diminished use among younger members. *(https://www.dtnext.in/tamilnadu/2020/02/09/many-of-the-native-languages-turning-feeble-in-the-state)* **8. The Muduva Language** Spoken by the Muduva tribe, this language faced extinction due to the community's shift towards Tamil for socioeconomic advancement. The absence of institutional support for Muduva further exacerbated its decline. *(https://www.dtnext.in/tamilnadu/2020/02/09/many-of-the-native-languages-turning-feeble-in-the-state)* **9. The Alu Kurumba Language** The Alu Kurumba people, residing in the Nilgiris, had their own language, which was critically endangered. The dominance of Tamil in the region led to a decrease in native speakers, as younger generations adopt Tamil for better opportunities. *(https://www.dtnext.in/tamilnadu/2020/02/09/many-of-the-native-languages-turning-feeble-in-the-state)* **10. The Eravalla Language** Classified as critically endangered, the Eravalla language saw a sharp decline in speakers. The community's integration into mainstream Tamil society and the lack of educational resources in Eravalla contributed to its near extinction. *(https://www.dtnext.in/tamilnadu/2020/02/09/many-of-the-native-languages-turning-feeble-in-the-state)* **11. The Vatteluttu Script** Historically, the Vatteluttu script was used in Tamil regions before being systematically wiped by the Pallava-Grantha script and later by the modern Tamil script. This transition, driven by political and cultural shifts, led to the obsolescence of Vatteluttu, impacting the literary traditions of communities that utilized it. (*https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vatteluttu)* The governmental neglect, systematic Tamil imposition, renaming of the Madras state, a home to numerous language to just a linguistic name 'Tamil Nadu'. Anti-Hindi protest, inadvertently sideling native languages, all gradually led to fading of these languages. These languages once had speakers in hundred of thousands, but today they are either long extinct or have a barely hundred speakers left. Few pictures of the speakers of these languages: [Badaga people](https://preview.redd.it/el84p9m4gole1.png?width=307&format=png&auto=webp&s=b0626ecc8e00675e896a5e9d6aa00cf31c4b5d18) [Kota people](https://preview.redd.it/yizitpg5gole1.png?width=231&format=png&auto=webp&s=dcb0fa2e0fc29bb0175370cdad2f6a87c9f530a7) [Toda people](https://preview.redd.it/116ct956gole1.png?width=251&format=png&auto=webp&s=ca0669fc2761ebe1faeec77b1232ee9affc6db22) [Irula people](https://preview.redd.it/ckf04ey6gole1.png?width=247&format=png&auto=webp&s=7cc04dfc9a4025f0827978483a4938ca19718288) [Narikurava people](https://preview.redd.it/b0k96pp7gole1.png?width=300&format=png&auto=webp&s=3b6d612f7a004d3953862a9837ba71278cf217a5) [Kanikkaran speaker](https://preview.redd.it/tae1b7j8gole1.png?width=216&format=png&auto=webp&s=59c28b7245decae780ccd6fd5712c9341287161d) [Kadar speaker](https://preview.redd.it/dw4ik369gole1.png?width=182&format=png&auto=webp&s=f28fe21314b0139533c7377ec6b75d939b726cdc) [Kurumba speaker](https://preview.redd.it/p72g1cs9gole1.png?width=205&format=png&auto=webp&s=cb08d14b7642b1f66933b4c1c420aab2b668b30d) [Vatteluttu Script](https://preview.redd.it/urv6c0fagole1.png?width=257&format=png&auto=webp&s=42cdcdb9736462aeab7f5b39807fcfd3825378ff)