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TEZPUR: The Department of Assamese at Tezpur University observed International Mother Language Day today. Manoj Kumar Goswami, Sahitya Akademi Award-winning writer and noted journalist, delivered a lecture on the occasion at the screening hall of the Department of Mass Communication and Journalism.
Speaking on the occasion, Goswami delivered a powerful message about the fragility of languages. “A language has to be raised like a kid to flourish; without this, it faces an existential threat,” Goswami stated. He warned about the threat posed by larger languages to smaller ones. He cited the example of Sanskrit, a language that, despite its age and importance, became ‘dead’ due to limited access and usage.
The noted journalist also addressed the challenges posed by Artificial Intelligence (AI) to the language landscape. He expressed concern that AI could diminish the human capacity for emotional expression and thought processes through language. He pointed out the lack of a prominent Indian counterpart to AI models like GPT (US) and DeepSeek (China). Goswami further highlighted the declining trend of conversations in the modern world, as the world becomes more engaged with newer tools. Citing the importance of book reading, he said that prominent figures like Elon Musk, Bill Gates, and Mark Zuckerberg read books to gain knowledge. Drawing inspiration from Israel’s revival of Hebrew, Goswami urged for the active love and use of Assamese. He said that even though it is now recognized as a classical language, if it dwells on linguistic conservatism and is not open to new ideas, its use may shrink.
Professor RR Hoque, Dean of Academic Affairs at Tezpur University, emphasized the global loss incurred when a language dies, stating, “When a language is dead, knowledge is lost, and it is a global loss.” He stressed the importance of education in the mother tongue for holistic development, aligning with the focus of the National Education Policy (NEP). Professor Hoque also underscored the intrinsic link between mother tongue and cognitive development.
Professor Chandan Kumar Sharma, Dean of the School of Humanities & Social Sciences, advocated for greater inclusiveness in the Assamese language, noting that the language can embrace vocabularies from various ethnic groups of Assam. He floated the idea of an all-inclusive dictionary featuring words from various multiethnic groups of Assam.
Dr Juri Dutta, Head of the Department of Assamese, gave a brief representation of the works carried out at the Department. During the occasion, the Department’s annual magazine, Kixoloi, was released. Several cultural programmes were also organized. Dr Sanjib Deka, a faculty member of the Department, offered the vote of thanks.
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