The Last Voices of Kharia: Bangladesh’s Vanishing Language and Culture

Sangram Datta:

In the tea estates and hilly areas of the Sylhet Division in north-eastern Bangladesh, a small yet historic community is now facing an existential crisis.

During the British colonial period, they came from various states of India to work as labourers in tea gardens in what is now Bangladesh, eventually settling permanently in the tea estates of Moulvibazar, Habiganj, and Sylhet districts.

The Kharia people — whose roots lie in eastern India and whose language, Kharia, is one of South Asia’s oldest — are slowly losing both their language and distinct culture. Over generations, the Kharia identity has blended into the national mainstream, erasing much of their heritage.

History of the Kharia Language:

The Kharia people, or Kharias, are an Austro-Asiatic indigenous ethnic group of east-central India. They primarily speak the Kharia language, which belongs to the Austro-Asiatic language family.

The Kharia are divided into three main sub-groups: the Hill Kharia, the Dhelki Kharia, and the Dudh Kharia — of which the Dudh Kharia group is the most educated.

When and Where Did the Kharia Language Originate?

According to linguist Paul Sidwell, Munda languages arrived on the coast of Odisha from Southeast Asia around 4,000 to 3,500 years ago. Austro-Asiatic speakers migrated from Southeast Asia to India and intermingled extensively with the local populations.

In brief, the language likely originated around 2000–1500 BCE. It developed among the Munda peoples living in the primitive forested regions of present-day Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, and parts of West Bengal in India. Over time, speakers of the language spread across eastern India. Some later migrated to Bangladesh during the British colonial period — particularly to the tea estates of Sylhet Division.

Where is the Kharia language spoken?

The Kharia language is primarily spoken in the Indian state of Jharkhand. In addition, Kharia-speaking people also live in some parts of the states of West Bengal and Odisha.

How Many People Spoke the Kharia Language?

In Bangladesh, among the approximately 5,700 members of the Kharia community scattered across 41 settlements in the Sylhet tea estate region, the number of Kharia speakers has dropped sharply. Today, only two elderly women (in Barmachhara Tea Estate of Sreemangal upazila) can speak the language fluently.

In India, the number of Kharia speakers was once much higher. According to the 2011 Census in India, more than 420,000 people spoke the Kharia language across India and neighbouring areas — including members of all three sub-groups: Dudh Kharia, Dhelki Kharia, and Hill Kharia.

How Many Kharia Speakers Are Left Now?

In Bangladesh, there are now only two speakers of the Kharia language. Two elderly sisters, Christina Kerketta (75) and Veronica Kerketta (80) of Barmachhara Tea Garden. After their departure, there will be no living Kharia speakers in Bangladesh, and the language will vanish entirely from the country.

Why Is the Kharia Language Disappearing?

Several major factors are behind the decline of the Kharia language:

Language Shift Pressure:

The younger generation of Kharias mostly use Sadri, Bengali, Hindi, or local dialects. As a result, the use of their mother tongue has almost ceased.

Absence in Education and Administration:

There is no educational system, textbooks, or government recognition in Kharia. Children study in Bengali, reducing interest in their mother tongue.

Lack of a Written Form:

In Bangladesh, Kharia doesn’t have standard alphabet or written form, which is a major barrier to preservation.

Loss of Cultural Ties:

The cultural roots of the Kharia people lie in the Indian state’s of Jharkhand and Odisha. The Bangladeshi Kharias are descendants of migrant tea labourers and their cultural practices have become disconnected from their homeland.

Lack of Government Recognition and Promotion:

In Bangladesh, the Kharia are not officially recognised as an indigenous community, so they don’t receive government aid or language preservation initiatives.

Poverty and Livelihood Pressures:

Many Kharias are poor and prioritise earning a living over language preservation, leaving little time or interest for teaching or practising it.

Does Kharia Have an Alphabet in Bangladesh?

In Bangladesh, Kharia doesn’t have recognised script of its own and is essentially an oral language. There is no tradition of preserving it in written form, which is one of the biggest reasons for its decline. Without written records, preserving a language becomes extremely difficult.

Where Does Kharia Have a Script?

The Kharia language doesn’t have native script in Bangladesh. In the Indian state’s of Jharkhand, Kharia is sometimes written in Devanagari, Odia, or Latin scripts. In Kharia-majority areas, people also speak Sadri, Mundari, Kurukh, Hindi, and Odia alongside Kharia.

Why Is the Present Generation Not Interested in Learning Kharia?

Social and Educational Pressures:

In tea gardens, where Kharias mostly live, Bengali and Hindi are dominant, and the medium of education is Bengali. Kharia children must speak Bengali or Sadri in school, society, and work to survive socially and economically.

Decreased Practical Value of the Language:

Kharia is not useful for jobs or higher education, so parents encourage children to focus on Bengali and English instead.

Cultural Disconnect:

Reduced interaction between older and younger generations has ended the use of Kharia in folk songs, festivals, and storytelling.

Concealment of Identity:

Many young Kharias hide their ethnic and linguistic identity to avoid social discrimination.

Lack of Preservation Initiatives:

There are no government or NGO-led programs to teach or preserve Kharia, so the language is disappearing even within families.

Social Divisions:

The Kharia are divided into three sub-groups:

Dudh Kharia, Dhelki Kharia, and Hill Kharia. The first two speak the Austro-Asiatic Kharia language, while the Hill Kharia speak an Indo-Aryan language known as Kharia Thar, for which no linguistic development work has been done.

The Dudh and Dhelki Kharia are considered one cohesive tribal group. They migrated to the Chotanagpur Plateau after being attacked by an Ahir chief.

Location:

In Bangladesh’s Sylhet Division, around 5,700 Kharia people live in 41 settlements, mainly in the tea gardens and surrounding areas of Sreemangal, Kamalganj, Chunarughat, and Madhabpur upazilas.

In India, the Hill Kharia are mainly found in Jashipur and Karanjia Blocks of Mayurbhanj district. A few villages are also found in Morada block in Odisha.

In Jharkhand, they are concentrated in East Singhbhum, Gumla, Simdega districts. Though widely found in this district, Musabani, Dumaria and Chakulia Blocks are the blocks where they live in large numbers. And in West Bengal, they are in West Midnapur, Bankura and Purulia districts. The majority are in Purulia.

The Hill Kharia are also called Pahari Kharia, Savara/Sabar, Kheria, Erenga, or Pahar. Outsiders call them “Kharia,” but they identify themselves as “Sabar.” They are called “Pahari Kharia” because they live in forests and depend on forest resources.

Clans:

The Hill Kharia have many clans, such as Golgo, Bhuniya, Sandi, Gidi, Deuri, Pichriya, Nago, Tolong, Suya, Dhar, Tesa, Kotal, Kharmoi, Dizar, Laha, Saddar, Sikri, Rai, Dungdung, Bilung, Kiro, Kerketta, Soren, Kullu, Ba, Tete, Dolai, Sal, Alcosi, and Khelari. The ‘Golgo’ clan is considered the most influential, as it is always mentioned first in every village.

Population:

According to Bangladesh’s 2022 census, the Kharia population is around 3,099. However, unofficial estimates put it closer to 6,000.

According to India’s 2011 Census, the Kharia population is: Jharkhand – 234,366; Odisha – 144,179; West Bengal – 38,280; Assam – 1,224; Chhattisgarh – 1,057; Bihar – 590; Tripura – 304; Andaman and Nicobar Islands – 55; Maharashtra – 40; with negligible or unrecorded populations in other states/territories. The total in India exceeds 420,000, with most Kharias living in Jharkhand, Odisha, and West Bengal.

Culture and Lifestyle:

In Bangladesh, the Kharia mainly work as tea labourers. Some also work in agriculture as farmhands.

In India, under British rule, some Kharias worked under landlords. After independence, many became landowners and farmers. All Kharia people speak their traditional dialect, part of the Munda family within the Austro-Asiatic branch. Their culture is closely tied to nature, reflecting an eco-centric way of life.

Clothing:

The Hill Kharia have preserved their traditional dress styles, while others have adopted modern clothing. Men usually wear a dhoti, which they call “bhagwan.” Women wear a sari that reaches the ankles and covers the chest with one end. However, this attire is now rarely used. Both men and women wear ornaments made of brass, nickel, aluminium, silver, and occasionally gold. Dudh Kharia women prefer gold jewellery.

Economy:

Economic status varies among Kharia groups. The Hill Kharia are mainly food gatherers, hunters, and day labourers. The Dhelki Kharia are agricultural workers and farmhands, while the Dudh Kharia are primarily farmers. Kharias are also skilled in handicrafts and cottage industries.

Religion:

In the tea gardens of Bangladesh, most Kharias are either Hindu or Christian, with a ratio of about 19:20.

According to India’s 2011 Census, among all Kharia in the country, 46.1% are Christian, 43.4% Hindu, and small minorities follow Islam, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism, or other faiths.

Festivals:

The Kharia’s main religious festival is Sarhul, usually celebrated in spring, deeply tied to expressing gratitude to nature. During Sarhul, the sal tree flower is regarded as a sacred symbol of life and prosperity. The festival includes songs, dances, and traditional rituals honouring the Earth and Forest deities. They also celebrate the Baha festival.

Dance:

The Kharia are considered excellent dancers. Young men and women dance together; sometimes, boys and girls form separate groups and sing in a way that resembles a musical conversation. Common dance styles include Hario, Kinwar, Halka, Kudhing, and Jadhura.

Notable Kharia individuals in India include writer Rose Kerketta, freedom fighter Telanga Kharia, and hockey players Jyoti Sunita Kullu and Salima Tete.

Conclusion:

The Kharia language is not just a means of communication — it is a living document of thousands of years of history, struggle, and culture. Yet in Bangladesh, it is on the verge of extinction. The last two elderly women carry its final breath in their memories, and with their deaths, it will vanish into the darkness of history.

The death of a language means more than the loss of words — it means the disappearance of an entire world, a people’s memories, beliefs, songs, laughter, tears, and identity.

It is therefore urgent for the government, researchers, cultural organisations, and international language preservation bodies to act together. The younger generation must be given back their mother tongue so that the Kharia identity is not confined to the pages of books but lives on in people’s speech, music, dance, and songs.

Preserving a language means preserving the soul of a nation — and that responsibility belongs to all of us.