ABSU discusses issues related to Bodo medium education with CM

From our Correspondent

KOKRAJHAR, September 9: A delegation of the All Bodo Students’ Union (ABSU) led by its general secretary Lawrence Islary on Tuesday called on Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi at his official residence in Guwahati and held talks for 45 minutes. The delegation also submitted a memorandum, where 15 demands and issues were stated and discussed vividly.

On the demand for separate Directorate for Bodo medium the Chief Minister assured that Bodo medium would get separate cell with own office to look into medium matters as proposed earlier in the me of the Bodo and other Tribal Languages Directorate. The ABSU stressed separate directorate for Bodo medium in the State.

The issues of Bodo department in all the universities including Central Universities in Assam and introduction of Bodo Major in all the colleges of Assam where Bodo students can study were also discussed. The development of Bodoland University and provincialization of remaining venture institutions in Assam were also discussed. ABSU leaders said on all these issues Gogoi had agreed to convene a meeting with the Education Department at the ministerial-level taking all the Commissioners and Directors concerned to find out the possible solution.

In the discussion the CM had assured the necessary process would be taken up to make Bodo one of the Official Languages in the State. This was possible only after the Amendment of the existing the Assam Official Language Act, 1960. The student leaders said that it would be good if this was done soon to give constitutiol position of the Bodo language and solve subsequently all the issues related to Bodo language promotion and use in Assam.

Gogoi also assured that the Government of India Scholarship issue would be looked into. Government of India ST Scholarship has been pending in the disbursement since many years. Due to this there has been irregularity in payment to ST students. The tiol means-cum-merit scholarship conducted by the State Education Department, which is a Government of India Scheme, in its medium of examition has missed out Bodo medium. This deprives the meritorious Bodo students who can not avail this scholarship from Class IX to Class XII

The ABSU delegation team was headed by Kungkhra Swargiary, adviser, accompanied by Dipen Boro, vice-president, Lawrence Islary, general secretary, Rabiram rzary, assistant general secretary, Kwrwmdao Wary, secretary, Ganesh Basumatary, cashier and Koneswar Boro, general secretary SDC.