President attends Bodo Sahitya Sabha conference ** Himanta announces financial aid for Bodo Sahitya Sabha ** Bodo language to be medium of instruction in Class XI and Class XII: CM
HT Bureau
Tamulpur/GUWAHATI, May 4: President Ram Nath Kovind on Wednesday urged the Assam Government to make all possible efforts for the promotion and growth of Bodo language and literature.
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Addressing the 61st annual conference of the Bodo Sahitya Sabha (BSS) here, he said it has played a significant role in ensuring that Bodo is included as a medium of education in both school and higher educational institutions.
Bodo has been declared as the official language of the state and the “protection and promotion of a language is the responsibility of both the society and the government. I urge chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma to make all possible efforts in this direction,” the President said.
He asserted that peace and harmony along with development initiatives taken by both the Central and Assam Government has led to the setting up of more educational institutions in the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR).
“The atmosphere of harmony and peace in the region is becoming stronger with the joint efforts of the Centre and the state governments of the northeastern region. The development works have an important role in this change. I appreciate the positive role of the governments and the people of the region,” he said.
Kovind also recalled former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s contribution in ensuring that Bodo was included in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution in 2004.
More than 35 lakh people speak Bodo, including in West Bengal, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura, Sikkim, Nagaland and also in Bangladesh and Nepal.
“I am glad that representatives of these states and countries are present in the Sabha’s conference today,” he said.
“Many scholars and authors have enriched the Bodo language and literature and so far 17 writers have been awarded the Sahitya Akademi Awards for their works in Bodo language.
“Ten of these awardees have received it for poetry, which shows the natural inclination of the Bodo writers towards poetry. It has been, however, observed that only two women have received the award,” the President said.
He urged the Sabha to encourage women authors and youths, who can enrich its language and literature further and make it more vibrant.
Kovind also expressed happiness over the translation works of other languages into Bodo.
The rich body of translated literary work is the characteristic of any vibrant literary community, and this will give an opportunity to the readers of Bodo language to get acquainted with other Indian languages as well as world literature, he said.
Several Central Government organisations, the President said, are making an important contribution to the protection and promotion of Bodo language, literature and culture.
He pointed out that the month of May is very important for Bodo people, as they remember Bodofa Upendra Nath Brahma on May 1, which is his death anniversary.
“Bodofa had spread the message of ‘live and let live’ and this message of his continues to live on within the people.”
In his response to Kovind’s plea, chief minister Sarma said that the State Government is committed to extend support and cooperation for the welfare and development of the Bodo language and literature in days to come.
Bodo Sahitya Sabha president Toren Boro said that the conference was regarded as historic as Rashtrapati Kovind graced as chief guest on the occasion.
The chief minister on the occasion also paid his tributes to the first President of Bodo Sahitya Sabha Jaychandra Hagjer, its first general secretary Sonaram Thaosen and all other stalwarts for their role in establishing Bodo Sahitya Sabha on November 16, 1952.
Considering the immense role played by Bodo Sahitya Sabha and the number of people in Assam speak the Bodo language, the state government has already made the Bodo language an associate official language. Moreover, he announced that Bodo language will be introduced as a medium of instruction in Class XI and Class XII. Gradually it will be replicated in graduation and post-graduation levels, he said.
Sarma announced that the Government of Assam will provide Rs. 50 lakh to each district dominated Bodo speaking people for setting up of the office of Bodo Sahitya Sabha. His government will also give Rs. 5 crore as revolving fund to Bodo Sahitya Sabha to help it to intensify its activities for the enrichment and promotion of Bodo language and literature by professing and propagating them.
BTR CEM Pramod Boro also spoke on the occasion.
Governor Prof. Jagdish Mukhi, Sikkim CM Prem Singh Tamang-Golay, Meghalaya CM Conrad K Sangma, speaker Biswajit Daimary were among the prominent attendees on the occasion.
Kovind along with his wife Savita Kovind landed at Tamulpur Indian army camp in a special helicopter amidst strict security on Wednesday morning.
He was accorded warm welcome and felicitated with traditional Endi coat and Aronai besides a momento was given to him by BTR CEM Pramod Boro and Bodo Sahitya Sabha president Toren Boro on the occasion.
Kovind launched Bihung, a Bodo dictionary on the occasion and the chief minister released the Bodo glossary of the Assam Legislative Assembly. (With inputs from PTI)
