Implement Assam Official Language Act within two months: Axom Xahitya Xabha to Dispur

Implement Assam Official Language Act within two months: Axom Xahitya Xabha to Dispur

Ask private academic institutes to introduce mother tongues

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI, July 23: Blaming that the State government has been repeatedly ignoring their demand for implementing the Assam Official Language Act, 1960, the Axom Xahitya Xabha (AXX) gave Dispur a two-month deadline from today to implement the same to be applicable across the state.

Talking to the reporters in Guwahati on Monday, AXX president Paramananda Rajbongshi cautioned Dispur that from September 22, next onwards, except for the communiqué to be sent to the Centre, rest of the directives, notifications, and official communiqué to be circulated within the state has to be made in the official language otherwise which the AXX will initiate measures. “After this date onwards, we appeal all the individuals, institutions and organizations to deny departmental communiqués if it is not written in our official language, particularly in the Brahmaputra valley. In this regard, we are also appealing the AXX officials, districts and other units of the Xabha to enterprise the same,” he said.

Notably, the AXX president also asked all the private educational institutes to mandatorily introduce the mother tongues within two months.

Expressing concern on the declining of Assamese language speakers to 48.34% according to the language census of 2011, Rajbongshi appealed the Centre to recognize the Assamese language as the lingua franka of the north eastern states. He also pointed out that most of the name plates being erected along the national highways; certain places’ names have been corrupted for which he asked the NHAI to correct the same at the earliest.

Reiterating the Xabha’s anti-Bill stand, Rajbongshi appealed all the ethnic organizations of the State to raise collective protest against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 until it is not withdrawn. He also condemned the Centre’s conspiracy by providing long term visa to the foreign nationals which he believe would indirectly help settling the foreigners in the State.

Rajbongshi informed the reporters that the next 10th Special Annual Session of the AXX is scheduled to be held on February 1 at Roha under the aegis of the Suryabati Sakha of Nogaon and in association with the Roha unit. In this regard, the president also appealed the two units to form the reception committee in presence of the central representative of the Xabha.

The president further informed the reporters that to encourage the Assamese and the ethnic youth theatre artistes, the AXX is going to confer ‘Sukracharya Rabha Award’ from 2019 onwards. At the same time, the AXX will also confer award in the name of noted freedom fighter, writer and lawmaker Gaurishankar Bhattacharya from the next Annual Session onwards. Moreover, the AXX will establish a digital archive at Tezpur in memory of Padmanath Gohain Borooah.

In an another meeting held in Guwahati on Monday, the AXX along with eight other ethnic literary bodies of the State have unanimously decided to stress on a error free NRC, withdrawal of the Citizenship (Amendment0 Bill, 2016, protest against the merger of the Directorate of Historical and Antiquarian Studies (DHAS) with the Directorate of Museum besides protest against the long term visa issued to the foreign nationals.

The ethnic literary bodies attending the meeting were Bodo Xahitya Xabha, Karbi Xahitya Xabha, Rabha Xahitya Rabha, Tiwa Xahitya Xabha, Mising Xahitya Xabha and the others.

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