In the verdant hills of Arunachal Pradesh, the Tani peoples, the children of Abotani, stand at a crossroads of cultural identity and linguistic unity. While the Naga tribes have found solidarity under a common banner, the Tani clans remain divided by an overstated narrative of tribal multiplicity. This article proposes a transformative vision for the Tani language — a vision to elevate it to the status of an official language (by reviving the now dead unified tani language), thereby fostering a cohesive cultural ethos while recognizing the unique identities within Arunachal Pradesh.

The Misrepresented Diversity of Arunachal Pradesh

The perception of Arunachal Pradesh's diversity has been exaggerated to suggest an impracticality in adopting a unifying language. Yet, evidence indicates that the Tani language could viably serve as a lingua franca for the majority. The notion of 26 or 27 major tribes is a misclassification, as many such groups are subsets of larger tribes with common linguistic and ancestral roots.

The Tani Language

The Tani people, representing the majority in Arunachal Pradesh, share a language that is not only a medium of communication but a repository of their collective heritage. The dialects spoken by the Nyishi, Apatani, Adi, Galo, Tagin, and Mishing reflect a linguistic continuum that can form the bedrock of a standard Tani language. The Miji, Mishmi, Aka, and Na peoples are also considered to be our cousins and we share a lot of commonalities that bridge our cultures. It is recommended to expand the Tani clan, to include them within our embrace as well, after all we are one people. Recognizing Tani as an official language would not marginalize these groups, as some might claim, but it would rather acknowledge the shared heritage and embrace them within the wider Tani family.

Autonomous Councils: A Step Towards Linguistic Autonomy

Assam is much more diverse than arunachal and yet they have "Assamese" as the common language. Minorities in assam are protected through means of an autonomous council. Something similar can be done in Arunachal to ensure that whilst Tani becomes the official language, the linguistic and cultural autonomy of distinct minority communities is respected. Tani should be made compulsory in all schools that falls outside the areas designated to these autonomous councils. By granting such status to the Nagas of Tirap-Changlang-Longding, as well as to the Monpas & other tibetic ethnicities in Tawang, and the Deoris, Singhpho, and Khamtis in Namsai, Arunachal Pradesh can honor its diversity while still promoting linguistic unity- through a unified tani language. The perfect example supporting this cause is Assam.

The Case for an Official Tani Language

Remember that Assam's adoption of Assamese and the Nagas' use of Nagamese illustrate that linguistic unity does not negate diversity. In Arunachal Pradesh, the establishment of Tani as an official language, alongside English, could similarly enhance state-wide communication and unity, while regional languages are respected within autonomous districts.

Replacing Hindi and Indigenizing Names

Hindi, while widely taught, is not native to Arunachal Pradesh. By promoting Tani over Hindi, Arunachal Pradesh asserts its cultural sovereignty and fosters a stronger indigenous identity. Furthermore, renaming the state with an indigenous name would signify a return to the roots of its native peoples. Hindi is killing our state and our culture- and we should prioritize our own native languages over a "non-indigenous" language.

Recommendations for Cultural and Linguistic Unity

1. Standardization of Tani: Develop a standardized Tani language through scholarly collaboration, accounting for the diverse dialects and ensuring it meets contemporary needs. We at the Tani Language Foundation, are already working towards it, and we invite interested individuals and organisations to join us.

2. Education Policy Reform: Integrate Tani into the educational system at all levels, promoting literacy and fluency within the younger generation. Make the language compulsory, instead of Hindi. Hindi should purely be optional. English can be the second compulsory language- since its what the world uses. Hindi has no use outside South Asia- and should be solely optional.

   
   

3. Legislative Support: Enact laws that officially recognize Tani as a state language, ensuring its presence in governmental and administrative domains.

4. Autonomous Councils: Establish autonomous councils for tribes with distinct linguistic identities than tani, ensuring that their languages and cultures are also preserved. Promotion of Tani should not be at the expense of minority communities. Tani should not be forced in these autonomous councils.

Conclusion

Arunachal Pradesh’s true linguistic unity lies in recognizing and nurturing the Tani language, not as an imposed lingua franca, but as a common heritage that reflects the historical and cultural journey of its people. In doing so, Arunachal Pradesh can create a paradigm where diversity is not just acknowledged but celebrated within a framework of unity. With an indigenous language and name, Arunachal Pradesh can lead the way in cultural self-determination, becoming a beacon for linguistic and cultural preservation.