Letters to the EDITOR: Assam University vs. our silence

Assam University vs. our silence

This refers to a news report published on April 11, 2025, in a local daily, which pointed out a glaring omission in the holiday calendar of Assam University, Silchar: the absence of a holiday for Rongali Bihu. In contrast, the university has generously allocated a 26-day holiday for the Durga Puja festivities. Their confidence is remarkable. One wonders if the next step is to rename Assam altogether.

This isn’t just about holidays. It’s about identity. In the recent past, Assamese-language hoardings were smeared with tar in the Barak Valley; there had been a symbolic protest in mainland Assam. The community bowed its head, and the one and only Assamese-medium school in the region shut down permanently. And we, as a society, barely reacted. Time is to ask ourselves: is silence strength, or is it surrender?

Assamese is the official language of the state. Its place in the Barak Valley should not come at the expense of Bengali, nor should Bengali come at the expense of Assamese. Both languages, both cultures, must coexist, not compete. That is how a truly inclusive Assam will flourish.

If we keep ignoring these signs, we are slowly writing the obituary of a language and a legacy. "Survival of the fittest" should not mean dominance; it should mean resilience, coexistence, and mutual respect. It’s time to stop watching in silence. It’s time to speak, before the echoes fade for good.

Prafulla Dowarah

Guwahati

Perspective of Bohag Bihu

"If winter comes, can spring be far behind?" are the last lines of the poem "Ode to the West Wind" written by Percy Bysshe Shelley. After a short spell of winter, nature has worn a green shawl to welcome spring, and with the song of the cuckoo and nightingale and the beating of drums, our favourite Bohag has come. Once again old and young ones enjoy dancing to the rhythms of Bihu songs and drums, and thus they forget their yearlong miseries. As legendary singer Dr Bhupen Hazarika had sung, "Bohag is not only a season, not only a month but is the lifeline of the Assamese community....." Really, Bohag is the aspirational month of Assamese people. Out of the three Bihus, Bohag Bihu, or Rongali Bihu, is celebrated with colourful programmes.

At a time when rural young boys and girls celebrated the Rongali Bihu by dancing under big trees, it turned out to be a rural festival. So the originality of Rongali Bihu lies in the rural background, but for a long time, Rongali Bihu has been performed on stage with urban populations backing it. Not only that, in the last year, more than ten thousand Bihu dancers performed the Bihu dance before the Hon'ble Prime Minister of India and to secure a place in the Guinness Book of Records.

It is not objectionable to perform an agrarian dance on the stage, but its true spirit cannot be compromised. Nowadays, it is seen with awe that at any time the Bihu dance is performed on frivolous occasions without proper attire. Many Bihu troupes are performing Bihu dances by violating guidelines scripted by experts, and as such, our heart-throbbing Bihu has lost its past glory. It is our fervent request that all the Bihu troupes maintain proper guidelines and make it a world-famous dance.

Besides Assamese people, many ethnic groups residing in Assam also celebrate the Bihu under various names, and it is our bright time to take a pledge under the Bihu flag for unity and eternal peace. At present, the Assamese language is facing a threat from the invasion of English and Hindi as the new generation are embracing English and Hindi instead of their mother tongues. It is a good sign that the Assamese language has been awarded classical language status, but it is our bounden duty to preserve our mother tongue; otherwise all will be ended in futility. We are not advocating against English and Hindi, but it is an earnest appeal to all concerned to save our nation and mother tongue.

At this time of the celebration of Bohag Bihu, we should be aware of the sustainability and prosperity of our language and culture. Recently, it has been observed that Bihu dance and songs, as well as other folk songs and dances, have not been given appropriate honour to be performed on the stage; on the other hand, cheap music and modern dances have been allowed to perform recklessly with approval from some Bihu committees. We are not against any modern culture, but the same should not be tolerated at the cost of our own culture. Apart from Bihu dance and songs, all folk songs and dances should be bestowed due respect and recognition at any time and at any place; otherwise, the glamour of the Bohag Bihu will be dimmed. At the advent of Bohag, this time also, all of us are well prepared to celebrate our dearest Rongali Bihu, but in the market our Bihuwaan has also been usurped by powerloom Gamosas with a threat to the genuine weavers. So, at this juncture, we should fight unitedly, taking into account all ethnic groups to defend our cultures from aggressors, and there's nothing more to say in this holy month of Bohag.

Benudhar Das

Galiahati- No. 2, Barpeta.