'Lackadaisical attitude' of government towards use of Bodo language raises BSS, ABSU ire

From our Correspondent

KOKRAJHAR, June 11: The Bodo Sahitya Sabha (BSS) expressed strong resentment over the alleged lackadaisical attitude of the Government of Assam towards use and development of the Bodo language. After the All Bodo Students’ Union (ABSU), the Bodo Sahitya Sabha (BSS), an apex literary body of the Bodos, has strongly put demanded publication of NRC registration form in Bodo language.

Talking to The Sentinel, BSS general secretary Kamla Kanta Mashahary said the Bodo language was included in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution in the year 2004 but the Government of Assam had no interest to implement the Bodo language in official works. He said more than 11 years had passed but till today, the Bodos were forced to move Delhi for use and implementation of the Bodo language in official works. Besides, the Bodos had to go to New Delhi to pressurize the Government of India for creating separate directorate of education for Bodo medium, provincialization of schools, appointment of adequate teachers and implementation of Right to Education, he said.

“It is unfortute that some sections of people created a hue and cry when the BTC used to implement Bodo language in official works and alleged that the council was trying to ignore the Assamese language,” said Mashahary. He added that this allegation was totally baseless.

He also said that the repeated rejection of the demand of the Bodo democratic organizations to publish the NRC registration form in the Bodo language by the State Government had proved the ‘negative treatment’ towards Bodo language. He further said that the Bodos had to come out on the streets for their due constitutiol rights and privileges but the State Government had always been maintaining lackadaisical attitude. “If the Government of Assam does not want the indigenous Bodo tribal people to stay with them then separate state of Bodoland should be created as early as possible,” said the BSS general secretary.

Mashahary said that they had submitted memorandum to Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on Monday demanding publication of NRC registration form in Bodo language for Bodo domited districts of Assam. He said at present the NRC update work was going on in full swing all over the State under the supervision and guidance of Chief Minister. The district authorities are distributing the NRC form but the form has been published only in Assamese, English and Bengali.

“The Bodo language is included in the Eight Schedule as per the Bodo Accord signed in 2003. At the same time, the Bodo language is the recognized official language of BTC and also an associate official language of Assam,” he said adding that BSS wanted necessary arrangement of publishing the NRC form in Bodo language so that the Bodo people could fill up the NRC form properly in Bodo to avoid mistakes.

The Bodo Sahitya Sabha said that there should not be any base year for their NRC update work considering the indigenous tribal people of the State as the aborigil people of the State. At the same time, BSS demanded that 1951 should be earmarked as the base year for indigenous Assamese people in the NRC update works.