Bodo is the official associate language of Assam now

DISPUR: The Assam Assembly on Wednesday passed the "Assam Official Language Amendment Bill", making Bodo the official associate language of the state.

The bill was introduced on the floor of the Assembly by Assam parliamentary affairs minister Chandra Mohan Patowary on behalf of chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal.

"Proposed amendment will allow Bodo language in Devanagri script as an associate official language for all or any of the official purposes of the state of Assam," Mr Sonowal said in "statement of objects & reasons".

It is pertinent to mention here that the Assam Cabinet on December 22 approved the Assam Official Language Amendment Bill for making Bodo an associate official language of the state.

Interestingly, Kamalakhya Dey, a Congress MLA from North Karimganj constituency, moved a proposal seeking an amendment to the bill. He demanded that the Bengali language, spoken by a sizable populace, should also be declared as an associate official language in Assam.

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Dey pointed out that while Bodo is spoken 14 lakh people in the state, the Bengali language is spoken by 90 lakh people.

Countering this, Assam education minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said Bengali is an established and well-recognised Indian language, adding that it is already the official language in the Barak Valley with a majority Bengali population.

Congress leader and Opposition Leader of the Assam Assembly, Debabrata Saikia announced the withdrawal of the proposal seeking an amendment to the bill by the party MLA.

During the debate, All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) MLA Aminul Islam demanded that the Assamese language be declared as the link language of Assam.

Regarding Islam’s demand, minister Patowary said according to the Assam Official Language Act 1960, Assamese is already a link language in Assam.

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