56th foundation day of All Bodo Students’ Union observed in West Bengal

Pramod Boro pitches for introducing Bodo as medium of instruction in West Bengal

OUR CORRESPONDENT

KOKRAJHAR: The All Bodo Students’ Union (ABSU) and West Bengal State Committee, ABSU, jointly organized the 56th foundation day of the union with a day-long colourful programme at Jalaneswari High School playground, Khordanga in the Alipur district of West Bengal on Wednesday.

Addressing the public gathering, the CEM of the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC), Pramod Boro, who was also former president of the ABSU, said the students’ union had come a long way while struggling for various issues of the Bodos. He said the ABSU and the Bodo Sahitya Sabha (BSS) were the only frontal organizations that lead the community to live with self-respect and dignity. He said that both the ABSU and BSS had been struggling for the protection of the identity, culture and tradition of the Bodos and struggling for the development of Bodo medium, language and literature. He also said only these organizations were trusted bodies of the community which have been working for the Bodos with moral responsibility.

Boro said there were many Bodo people in West Bengal who speak Bodo language, preache Bathou religion and have their own dress and traditions but Bodo is yet to be introduced as medium of instruction in West Bengal. He said there had been many rounds of discussion with the ABSU and BSS of Bengal over the Bodo medium issue and they had also approached the West Bengal government.

“A community cannot survive with fear to raise its issues and therefore, the issues of Bodo medium, protection of language, culture and literature of West Bengal should be raised,” he said. He also said that a delegation of the ABSU and BSS units of Assam and West Bengal would soon meet the Chief Minister of West Bengal to appeal her for introducing Bodo as medium of instruction in West Bengal.

Emphasizing the need of revisiting Bodo history, Boro said the advanced communities had concealed the Bodo history in Assam and there were only few records and history written by some missionaries and historians, though Bodos have a history of over 6000 years before Christ. He called upon the upcoming educated youths to be conscious of this history.

The CEM said the BTC has been extending support to the Bodo students of Nepal, Bangladesh and neighbouring states who are pursuing higher studies in Bodoland University through the National Institute of Bodology (NIB). He called upon intending students of West Bengal to take this opportunity through NIB. He also assured that the BTC government would extend support to build the permanent office building of West Bengal state BSS and other socio-cultural organizations.

The open meeting which was chaired by ABSU president Dipen Boro was inaugurated by Surath Narzary, founder of ABSU and retired principal of Kokrajhar Government College. It was addressed by Assam Minister UG Brahma, local MLA Suman Kanjilal and chairperson of Alipur Zilla Parishad, Shila Das Sarkar.

In the morning, the president of ABSU, Dipen Boro hoisted the organizational flag while former president and spokesperson of West Bengal State Committee, ABSU, Nicodimas Hazari paid homage to Bodofa UN Brahma. Homage to the Bodoland martyrs was paid by the president of Pachim Banga Bodo Sahitya Sabha, Jnan Sigh Basumata.

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