HT Digital
GUWAHATI, JULY 7: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday declared that henceforth all government notices will be translated into Bodo language in the 13 districts where the Bodo people are settled. The step follows a longstanding demand of the All Bodo Students Union (ABSU) for promoting inclusivity and linguistic representation.
The Chief Minister announced the same on the occasion of an official function attended by Sarma while he inaugurating ‘Bodoland Speaks: From Vision to Action’, a new program under the Bodoland Happiness Mission led by the Bodoland Territorial Council. Emphasizing the value of cultural appreciation, the Chief Minister gave the Bodoland Lifetime Achievers Award to 18 persons for their exceptional work towards the preservation and promotion of the rich folk culture of Bodoland.
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Appreciating the Bodoland Happiness Mission, Sarma added that it is a good step towards strengthening the peace and stability which the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) has experienced over the last few years. Recalling the troubled history of the region, he observed that the previous demand for self-determination had filled the different communities with fear and insecurity. “People lived in fear. Due to this, they took to agitation for safety,” he stated.
Sarma attributed Prime Minister Narendra Modi with ushering in a new age of peace in 2014, which created the ground for long-term stability. The momentum was carried forward by the signing of a tripartite peace agreement in 2020 between the state government, the Centre, and National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) that turned the dream of peace into reality.
He asserted that it is a collective effort to maintain peace in the BTR. “The Bodo community, like 26 other tribal communities inhabiting the area, are taking active participation. Peace, if sustained, has the potential to transform Bodoland into an economic powerhouse,” Sarma concluded.
