OUR BUREAU
KOKRAJHAR/GUWAHATI: The 62nd annual session of the Bodo Sahitya Sabha (BSS) held at Rani Khalaishree Fwthar, Patgaon in the Kokrajhar district concluded on Sunday. The concluding day of the annual conference witnessed a huge gathering of people.
Addressing the open session as chief guest, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that education had become a new weapon in Bodoland, replacing the armed struggle, for building a strong foundation for the Bodos. He said the BSS, which was formed in 1952, had been playing an important role in the development of Bodo language and literature. He recalled the contributions and hard work of BSS leaders who strived for the development of Bodo literature.
The Chief Minister added that all necessary steps were being taken to ensure that the Bodo language is accorded its due status in the education sector. He further said that the Bodo language would be introduced up to the 12th standard in educational institutions and that 10 colleges within the Bodoland Territorial Region would be provincialized in the days to come, the cost of which would be borne by the government. He further said that Bodo literature had reached an international platform, and many Bodo writers have received prestigious national-level literary awards.
The Chief Minister also spoke about the contributions made by Bodofa Upendra Nath Brahma towards the overall uplift of the Bodo population. He exuded confidence that the decision to extend the territorial extent of the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) to Gahpur, as announced on January 26, 2023, would lead to further uplift of the Bodo population and go a long way in fulfilling their hopes and aspirations.
The Chief Minister said that around 1,000 seats were available in medical colleges in Assam, but out of those 1,000 seats, 200 were occupied by students from the minority community on a merit basis. He urged the indigenous tribal students to work hard to grab medical seats.
Stressing the role of knowledge and wisdom in enlightening of the society, Chief Minister Sarma urged upon the Bodo Sahitya Sabha, the All Bodo Students’ Union and the BTR administration to do everything in their capacity to bring an educational revolution in the region. He also urged the Bodo Sahitya Sabha to prepare a comprehensive dictionary in the Bodo language while assuring it of all necessary support from the government. He promised to release an amount of Rs 50 lakh as the first installment for the construction of district BSS offices in Assam.
BSS president Taren Boro, Chief Executive of BTC, Pramod Boro, Speaker of the Assam Legislative Assembly, Biswajit Daimary, and Minister UG Brahma, along with a host of other dignitaries and guests, were also present today. BTC CEM Pramod Boro gave the inaugural speech while MLA and president of the reception committee, Lawrence Islary, gave the welcome address.
Earlier in the day, Chief Minister Sarma also attended the open session of the 36th annual conference and the golden jubilee celebration of All Rabha Sahitya Sabha at Loharghat in the Kamrup district. The Chief Minister appealed to the members of the Rabha community to stay rooted to their identity, heritage and culture, while adding that a community cannot thrive by severing its ties with its roots. He also stressed the need for an educational revolution among the members of the Rabha community so as to enable them to walk hand-in-hand with their counterparts from other communities.
The Chief Minister stated that an amount of Rs 2 crore would be granted by the government for the construction of a permanent office for the All Rabha Sahitya Sabha. He further announced a grant of Rs 50 lakh to the All Rabha Sahitya Sabha so as to cover the expenses of 119 books published in relation to the annual conference.
Also Watch: