The new generation and the Assamese language

Himangshu Ranjan Bhuyan

(hrbhuyancolumnist@gmail.com)

The future of any language depends not merely on the number of people who speak it but on the pride, confidence, and practical value attached to it by the younger generation. In Assam, the question of the Assamese language has gradually emerged as one of the most significant social and cultural concerns of the present time. Languages naturally evolve with changing societies, and no language can remain static. However, the pace and character of linguistic change witnessed in Assam over the past few decades have raised serious questions about the future of Assamese as a living and vibrant language. What was once the primary medium of communication, thought, and cultural identity is increasingly losing ground in homes, educational institutions, and public life. The concern is not that young people are learning English or Hindi, for multilingualism is an advantage in today’s interconnected world. The real concern is that many young Assamese are becoming less comfortable reading, writing, and speaking their mother tongue with confidence. In many urban households, conversations among children contain more English and Hindi expressions than Assamese vocabulary, while even in rural areas the influence of digital media has transformed patterns of communication. The gradual acceptance of this linguistic mixture as a sign of sophistication reflects a deeper psychological shift. A language is much more than a collection of words; it carries history, literature, collective memory, and cultural values. When a generation becomes detached from its language, it slowly loses its connection with its intellectual and emotional heritage. Therefore, we should not let nostalgia or emotional appeals alone drive the present debate. It requires an honest examination of the educational system, social attitudes, technological influences, and economic realities that have shaped the linguistic choices of today’s youth.

One of the strongest factors behind the declining use of Assamese is the changing mindset of parents and the education system. Across Assam, particularly among middle-class families, English-medium education has become synonymous with success, modernity, and economic security. Many parents genuinely believe that educating their children in Assamese will limit their future opportunities in higher education and employment. This perception has encouraged many families to gradually replace Assamese with English even within their homes. Ironically, this shift often fails to produce genuine bilingual proficiency. Children grow up speaking imperfect English while simultaneously losing fluency in Assamese, leaving them without complete command over either language. Language should serve as a bridge to knowledge rather than becoming a status symbol. Research across the world consistently demonstrates that children develop stronger analytical and creative abilities when foundational education begins in the mother tongue. Countries such as China, Japan, Germany, and France have achieved remarkable advancements in science, technology, and innovation without abandoning their native languages. Their citizens learn English as an additional language while preserving the central role of their mother tongue in education and public life. Assam can learn an important lesson from these examples. The objective should never be to oppose English but to establish Assamese as an equally respected language of knowledge. The present generation must realize that linguistic confidence strengthens rather than weakens intellectual growth. At the same time, government institutions, universities, and educational policymakers must ensure that quality textbooks, scientific materials, and modern educational resources remain available in Assamese so that students never feel disadvantaged because of their language.

Economic realities have also shaped the younger generation’s attitude toward Assamese. In today’s competitive employment market, English dominates the corporate sector, multinational companies, information technology, and global business communication. Consequently, many young people assume that investing time in Assamese offers little professional benefit. This belief has gradually reduced the language to a cultural symbol rather than a practical skill. Such a perception is understandable but incomplete. Every successful language maintains its vitality by adapting to new fields of knowledge and employment. Assamese must therefore become visible in administration, digital services, entrepreneurship, research, media, healthcare, tourism, and technological innovation. The language cannot survive solely through literature, cultural festivals, or ceremonial speeches. Equally significant is the influence of digital technology on linguistic behaviour. Smartphones and social media have transformed communication more rapidly than any previous technological revolution. While digital platforms provide enormous opportunities for promoting Assamese, they have also encouraged the widespread use of Roman script instead of the Assamese script. Convenience has led many young users to write Assamese words using English letters, gradually weakening their familiarity with their alphabet. Alongside this trend, there has been a significant increase in the use of abbreviated English phrases, internet slang, and popular Hindi expressions. This trend has led to the deep integration of abbreviated English phrases, internet slang, and popular Hindi expressions into everyday speech. into everyday speech. Many young people now instinctively think in English before translating their thoughts into Assamese, reducing the natural flow and expressive richness of the language. Technology itself is not the enemy. On the contrary, it offers unprecedented opportunities to strengthen Assamese through digital keyboards, artificial intelligence tools, online dictionaries, educational applications, podcasts, blogs, and social media content. The real challenge lies in encouraging young people to choose Assamese confidently while using these technological resources instead of abandoning the language for convenience alone.

The cultural environment surrounding today’s youth has undergone equally profound changes. Global entertainment, streaming platforms, Korean popular culture, Bollywood cinema, and international social media trends have significantly influenced the tastes and aspirations of young audiences. Cultural exchange is both natural and beneficial, yet it becomes problematic when familiarity with global entertainment gradually replaces engagement with one’s own literary and artistic heritage. Many students recognize the names of Lakshminath Bezbaroa, Jyotiprasad Agarwala, and Bishnu Prasad Rabha primarily because they appear in examination syllabi rather than because they actively read their works. As reading habits decline, the expressive power of language also weakens. Literature enriches vocabulary, imagination, emotional intelligence, and cultural awareness. Without regular exposure to quality Assamese books, newspapers, magazines, and contemporary writing, young readers inevitably lose the linguistic depth necessary for effective communication. The challenge extends beyond literature to the wider ecosystem of intellectual engagement. On the internet, information about science, technology, travel, business, sports, health, fashion, and countless other subjects is overwhelmingly available in English, whereas comparable high-quality resources in Assamese remain limited. If Assamese is expected to remain relevant, it must become a language capable of discussing every aspect of modern life rather than remaining confined to poetry and cultural discourse. Content creators, journalists, filmmakers, educators, and technology professionals therefore have a crucial responsibility to produce engaging and reliable Assamese content that reflects contemporary realities. A language survives through daily use in ordinary conversations as much as through its greatest literary achievements. It flourishes when young people naturally choose it to express ideas, solve problems, create knowledge, and participate in public life.

The future of Assamese ultimately depends upon collective responsibility rather than isolated institutional efforts. Government policies, literary organizations, educational institutions, and media houses certainly have important roles to perform, but lasting change begins within families and communities. Children develop linguistic confidence when they hear correct Assamese spoken at home, when they see books in their language, and when they observe adults using Assamese with pride rather than embarrassment. Society must reject the misguided notion that speaking Assamese signifies backwardness while speaking English automatically reflects intelligence or sophistication. Multilingual competence is a valuable strength, but it should never come at the cost of abandoning one’s mother tongue. Every language learned broadens opportunities, while preserving one’s own language protects identity, memory, and cultural continuity. Assamese must become a language of innovation, entrepreneurship, scientific research, digital communication, public administration, and creative expression. It should accompany the younger generation wherever they go, whether into universities, laboratories, businesses, or global professional networks. The language must continue evolving to meet contemporary needs while preserving its unique literary and cultural richness. Like a flowing river, a language remains alive only when it continues to move, adapt, and nourish those who depend upon it. The younger generation of Assam possesses both the responsibility and the opportunity to ensure that Assamese remains a confident language of the future rather than merely a cherished memory of the past. If they embrace their linguistic heritage with pride while confidently engaging with the wider world, Assamese will not simply survive—it will flourish as a modern language rooted in history yet fully prepared for the challenges and possibilities of the twenty-first century.