Prasar Bharati has initiated steps to restart live radio broadcasts in the Thadou language from All India Radio Imphal. The broadcasts had been suspended during the 2023 ethnic violence in Manipur. The move signals a renewed focus on linguistic inclusion, cultural reassurance, and trust-building through public service broadcasting.
Why Issue Gained Importance
- The restoration follows repeated representations from Thadou Inpi Manipur, the principal community organisation.
- Live Thadou programmes stopped after Thadou-speaking staff relocated from the Imphal Valley due to security concerns.
- Since then, AIR Imphal has aired only recorded Thadou songs, limiting meaningful engagement and weakening cultural visibility during a sensitive period.
Administrative Measures Underway
- Internal coordination has begun within Prasar Bharati to assess feasibility.
- Inputs sought from programme leadership at AIR Imphal.
- Staffing options under consideration:
- Recall of experienced Thadou broadcasters, or
- Fresh recruitment to ensure continuity of dialect-based programmes.
Impact of the 2023 Ethnic Violence
- The violence primarily involved tensions between Meitei and Kuki groups.
- Live Thadou programmes ceased in May 2023 when operations in the valley became unsafe.
- Currently, recorded Thadou content is broadcast for a short daily slot (5:00–5:30 pm).
Language, Identity and Peacebuilding
- Language broadcasting is integral to cultural identity, oral heritage, and social recognition.
- Thadou leaders emphasise that live programmes are essential for preserving traditions and community dialogue.
- Concerns over misidentification of Thadou identity were discussed in peace meetings; assurances of coexistence are expected to encourage broadcasters’ safe return.
- Constitutional support for linguistic diversity derives from Articles 29 and 30, protecting cultural and educational rights.
Wider Context: Thadou Identity Assertion
- The revival coincides with stronger identity assertion by the Thadou community.
- August 2024: Killing of Thadou leader Nehkam Jomhao intensified concerns over recognition and security.
- November 2024 (Guwahati): A convention adopted a declaration reaffirming Thadou as an independent indigenous tribe.
- Thadou is officially recognised under the 1956 Presidential Order.
Role of Public Broadcasting in Inclusion
- Prasar Bharati, through Akashvani, broadcasts in multiple regional and tribal languages nationwide.
- Such programming supports inclusion, cultural continuity, and social harmony, especially in conflict-affected regions.
- Tribal languages in India largely belong to the Indo-Aryan, Dravidian, and Tibeto-Burman language families.
About Thadou Tribe
- Location: Hill areas adjacent to the Imphal Valley, Manipur; also present in Nagaland, Assam, Tripura, Meghalaya, Mizoram, and Delhi.
- Ethnicity: Historically under the Kuki-Chin-Mizo umbrella; increasingly asserting a distinct identity.
- Language: Thadou, a Tibeto-Burman language; Meitei often used as a second language.
- Population (2011 Census): 190,595 in Manipur; among the largest tribes after the Meiteis.
- Economy: Subsistence activities; jhum (slash-and-burn) cultivation prevalent.
- Religion: Traditionally animistic (Pathen); predominantly Christian today.
- Festival: Hun-Thadou, marking the New Year.
About Prasar Bharati
- Established: 1997 as India’s autonomous public service broadcaster.
- Radio Arm: Akashvani (All India Radio; name adopted in 1957).
- Oversees All India Radio and Doordarshan
- Mandate: Public service broadcasting, cultural preservation, inclusion, cultural diversity, national integration, and nation-building.