Literary Resistance and Cultural Survival: Reflections on Endangered Languages in Northeast India

Abstract

The endangered languages of Northeast India serve as vital spheres of cultural identity, traditional knowledge, and community resilience amidst rapid globalisation rather than merely functioning as linguistic entities. This study examines how Indian English Literature, particularly the works of regional authors from Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, and Manipur, reflect the issue of language extinction and the struggle to preserve oral traditions. This study demonstrates that literary works function as archives and forms of resistance, utilising sociolinguistics and decolonial theory. The study asserts that literature becomes a powerful discourse by articulating the trauma of language loss and the need for fostering rejuvenation through performance, recollection, and storytelling. This article emphasises the urgent necessity for inclusive literary criticism that advocates linguistic preservation, as many of these languages remain unrecorded or under-represented in the mainstream academia. It underscores the active role of literary works in the cultural preservation of endangered language communities and their reflective nature