The Union Minister of Tribal Affairs, Jual Oram today inaugurated the International Seminar on 'Understanding the tribes of Asia' at Synod College, Shillong. <br/><br/>In his address the Minister said, the Asian Sub-continent comprises one-third of the global indigenous population. He added that in India, particularly the North Eastern region is the most culturally diverse region wherein each tribe has its own language and sometimes varied dialects. <br/><br/>Mr Oram informed, in this regard UNESCO has declared around 190 languages of India as vulnerable or endangered. Saying this as a cause of concern for his Ministry, he expressed hope that such seminars will promote better understanding of the tribal population, their culture and their languages.<br/><br/>The two day programme which has drawn participation from India and abroad is being organized by the department of History and Education of Synod College Shillong.