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Urgent need for strict compliance with Official Languages notification
I am writing to draw urgent attention to the lack of strict compliance with the Government of Assam's Notification No. PLB.560215/78, dated April 14, 2025, regarding the mandatory use of official languages in administrative work. This notification is a landmark step towards linguistic inclusivity and ensuring governance reaches the grassroots level, but its objective is being undermined by administrative negligence.
The notification clearly mandates in Clause (1) that the Assamese language shall be used compulsorily in all official works, including office memoranda, rules, and regulations. Crucially, Clause (4) stipulates that all new notifications, orders, and acts must be published via translation into Assamese (and Bodo/Bengali, where applicable) within thirty (30) days of their receipt. This 30-day deadline is vital for transparency and timely public awareness.
However, the ground reality suggests widespread non-adherence. We consistently observe critical public circulars, important governmental forms, and even responses to citizen grievances being issued only in English, neglecting the primary mandate of the notification. Furthermore, the 30-day deadline for translation is often ignored, resulting in essential information remaining inaccessible to the majority of the population who primarily transact in Assamese or other regional languages.
This failure of strict compliance defeats the very spirit of the Governor’s order. If official communication is not immediately and compulsorily made available in Assamese, it creates a linguistic barrier that slows down administrative efficiency and effectively excludes a large segment of the population from fully participating in governance.
I urge the Government of Assam, particularly the Personnel and Political Departments, to establish a robust monitoring mechanism to ensure strict and immediate compliance with the 2025 notification. This notification must not remain a paper tiger; it must be enforced rigorously to ensure linguistic equity and democratic accessibility across the state.
Mowsam Hazarika
Bharalumukh, Guwahati.