DEEP IN THE PHALEE rainforest—a region once teeming with life but now facing threats from deforestation and habitat loss—a quiet revolution is taking root. The Rainforest Biodiversity of Phalee (RBP) has embarked on an extraordinary journey of conservation and discovery and has documented over 3,000 species through the citizen science initiatives and the People’s Biodiversity Register. Of these, around 700 have been scientifically validated. Yet, amid this achievement, countless native flora and fauna remain unnamed, both in the Tangkhul language and in scientific taxonomy.
Phalee’s dedicated citizens, together with scientists and researchers, have discovered unfamiliar mushrooms, orchids, shrubs, and insects—species with no known local or scientific names. This absence points to a deeper reality: much of the natural heritage found in the Tangkhul area remains unnamed, undocumented, and at risk of fading from memory or disappearing entirely.
Yet, within this silence lies a rare opportunity. Naming is more than a scientific act—it is a profoundly cultural gesture. By naming species, the Tangkhul community can reclaim and enrich their language, crafting new words born directly from the forest. Each name can reflect a plant’s healing power, a creature’s behaviour, or its role in local folklore, weaving fresh threads that connect people, language, land, and identity.
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The Tangkhul Literature Society has a vital role in integrating traditional and modern ecological values into the Tangkhul school textbooks. This will safeguard both the natural environment and the community’s cultural heritage, ensuring future generations respect the land, traditions, and the ancestral wisdom that has long sustained the Tangkhul identity.
Imagine a crimson flower whose Tangkhul name tells of healing, or a bird whose name captures the melody of dawn. Each new name becomes more than a label; it is a story, a lesson, a living fragment of heritage. When these names find a place in Tangkhul literature—through songs, folktales, and school curricula—they preserve not only biodiversity but also memory, meaning, and belonging.
Environmental learning should not be treated as a separate subject but as a shared responsibility connecting all living beings through the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the common habitat we call planet Earth.
By integrating local ecological knowledge—such as identifying and naming native species through collaborative scientific and community initiatives—the curriculum will enrich the Tangkhul lexicon and help students understand the living world as an essential part of their cultural and ecological heritage. This approach will nurture curiosity, deepen respect for nature, and inspire future research, innovation, and ecotourism.
Anchored in the vitality of their indigenous language, the people of Phalee are spearheading the development of a taxonomy that intertwines cultural knowledge with ecological observation. In doing so, they safeguard the biodiversity of their rainforest and the continuity of ancestral expression.
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The Phalee Rainforest Biodiversity Initiative aims to go beyond regular cataloguing—evolving into a model that unites linguistic revitalization, scientific discovery, environmental stewardship, conservation ethics, sustainable livelihood practices, and the creation of a living archive.
In the years to come, each name will carry more than a story—it will carry the forest’s voice, whispered through those who listen, learn, and keep the sacred bond between people and the planet alive.
(The views expressed are personal. The author hails from Phalee village, Ukhrul, Manipur. He can be reached at ninglengraingam@gmail.com)
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