AASU demands roll back of SEBA notification on Assamese language

GUWAHATI: The All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) today took strong exception to the Board of Secondary Education, Assam’s (SEBA) recent notification making Assamese language an elective subject in school curriculum.

In a statement, AASU president Dipanka Kumar Nath and general secretary Shankar Jyoti Baruah demanded immediate roll back of the April 12 notification where it is stated that any student can opt to take Assamese language as an elective subject instead of core subject.

In the latest notification, the SEBA has, however, stated that if somebody does not opt to take the subject as either core or elective, then also the student will have to study the subject as a subject in which marks secured will not be added to the mark sheet.

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The AASU has described the new policy as a conspiracy by some “anti-Assamese circle” in the SEBA top brass and threatened not to tolerate any such “anti-Assamese” step. “The AASU will not be appeased till the anti-Assamese policy is revoked,” the statement read.

The apex students’ organisation reminded that it had resorted to agitation following a similar anti-language step of the SEBA about a decade ago, and subsequently it was agreed that all students with Assamese as their mother tongue would have to compulsorily secure pass marks in Assamese to be promoted.

In the agreement, which was thrashed out in the presence of several noted academician, it was also decided to encourage non-Assamese speaking community students as well to take up Assamese as a core subject.

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Asserting that it was not ready deviate at all from the agreement, the AASU demanded that the SEBA should stick to the same and roll back the latest policy decision.