Kokrajhar, October 16: The removal of the Bodo-language nameplate from the Assam Legislative Assembly building has triggered strong reactions from the Bodo community, with the All Bodo Students’ Union (ABSU) describing the move as an affront to the community’s dignity and cultural identity.
ABSU Central President Khaoromdao Wary expressed strong displeasure over the removal, asserting that the recognition of the Bodo language was achieved through decades of struggle and that the incident amounted to symbolic exclusion.
Wary said a nameplate bearing the words ‘Assam Assembly Building’ in Bodo had been installed when the Assembly building was established, but was subsequently removed.
“Bodo is an important Indian language, and the Bodo people have fought for years to secure dignity and recognition for it. The removal of the nameplate is a symbolic act of exclusion and an insult to our people. Following the BTR Accord, amendments were made to the Assam Official Language Act, 1960, recognising the status of Bodo as an associate official language. The language has reached this position through our struggle, and its recognition cannot be undermined arbitrarily. This is an attack on the political and cultural identity of the Bodo community, and we will not remain silent,” Wary said.
The controversy has revived concerns over the recognition and status of the Bodo language in Assam, with ABSU leaders maintaining that the issue goes beyond a nameplate and concerns the implementation of constitutional and legal safeguards for the community.
Bodo is included in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution and was recognised as an associate official language of the Assam Legislative Assembly through the Assam Official Language (Amendment) Act, 2020.
Earlier on July 5, amid speculations of removal of Bodo language from Assembly official proceedings, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the government remained committed to protecting and promoting the language, dismissing speculation that Bodo would be withdrawn from official Assembly proceedings or business.
In a post on microblogging website, Sarma said he had been informed by the Speaker of the Assam Legislative Assembly that there was no proposal to discontinue the use of Bodo in Assembly proceedings or other official business.
“I have been informed by the Hon’ble Speaker of the Assam Legislative Assembly that there is no proposal to withdraw the use of the Bodo language from the proceedings or any other official business of the Assembly. The Bodo language is an inseparable part of Assam’s rich cultural heritage and identity. It carries the history, traditions and aspirations of the Bodo community and enriches the vibrant diversity that defines our state,” Sarma said.
“The Government of Assam is fully committed to preserving and promoting the Bodo language. We will continue to make every possible effort to support its growth and ensure that it flourishes for generations to come,” he added.