Guwahati, Oct 17: The Assam Legislative Assembly, on Saturday, dismissed claims that the Bodo language had been removed from the Assembly building, clarifying that no decision had been taken and no action initiated to remove it.
The controversy arose after repair work on the building’s front façade prompted concerns over the reported removal of the Bodo nameplate.
In a statement dated October 17, the Assembly said the ongoing repair work had led to the confusion.
“Some repair work was undertaken on the front façade of the Assam Legislative Assembly building and as the work was underway this has led to the confusion,” the statement said.
The clarification followed Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s public reaffirmation of the government’s commitment to preserving, promoting and enriching Bodo as an integral part of Assam’s shared cultural identity.
In a social media post tagging Assembly Speaker Ranjit Kumar Dass, Sarma said the Assembly would carry forward the same commitment.
“The Bodo language is a glorious and integral part of Assam’s rich and composite cultural heritage. The Assam Legislative Assembly will also take this commitment forward in the same spirit, giving the Bodo language the recognition and encouragement it truly deserves,” he wrote.
The issue had triggered strong objections from the All Bodo Students’ Union (ABSU), whose central president, Khaoromdao Wary, on Friday expressed displeasure over the reported removal of the Bodo nameplate.
Wary described the incident as an act of symbolic exclusion, arguing that the language’s recognition was the result of decades of struggle.
“The removal of the nameplate is a symbolic act of exclusion and an insult to our people. This is an attack on the political and cultural identity of the Bodo community, and we will not remain silent,” he had said.
While the Assembly has attributed the confusion to repair work and denied any move to remove the language, the episode has brought renewed attention to the recognition and status of Bodo in Assam.
ABSU leaders have maintained that the issue extends beyond a nameplate, touching on the implementation of constitutional and legal safeguards for the community.
The Assembly’s clarification, meanwhile, states that no decision or action to remove Bodo from the building has been initiated.