TEZPUR, May 22 � As the Bodo medium has completed 50 years of its use, the Tezpur District Bodo Sahitya Sabha held a golden jubilee function on the premises of Rangapara College here recently.
It may be mentioned that primary education in the Bodo language was introduced on May 18, 1963. Recognised as an MIL subject in 1977 by the GU and NEHU in 1984, the Bodo language was also recognised as an associate official language of the Assm Government.
Postgraduate certificate courses in the Bodo language started in GU in 1985, while an MA course in Bodo was started in 1996. At present, the Bodoland University is also starting an MA course in Bodo language. Bodo is also an MIL subject under the Assam University, Silchar and Dibrugarh University.
On the other hand, the Bodo language, which has reached the golden jubilee year of imparting education in the mother tongue to 22 lakh Bodo people on May 18 this year, was recognised as a scheduled language of India in 2003.
To mark the glorious event, the Department of Bodo, Rangapara College, organised a daylong function which was attended by distinguished personalities including Adiyta Khaklary, general secretary of Tribal Sangha and president of Bodo Women�s Justice Forum Anjali Daimary and many teachers from Bodo-medium schools and colleges and employees serving in different departments having Bodo-medium school background and students of various schools, colleges and universities.
The daylong programme started at 8 am with the unfurling of the District Bodo Sahitya Sabha flag by the president of the Tezpur District Bodo Sahitya Sabha, Liladhar Boro. It was followed by a felicitation programme inaugurated by Sonitpur Zila Parishad chairman Prafulla Rabha in which many founder teachers of Bodo-medium schools and successful students were felicitated.
The open session of the meeting was attended by Aditya Khaklary, general secretary of the Tribal Sangha, who was the chief guest. Khaklary said that Bodo people have been neglected since a long time back despite having a rich culture and heritage. Referring to many books written by scholars, Khaklary rued that the Bodos have been treated as a poor and neglected tribe, forcing them to take to the path of agitation for self-determination and establishment of a national identity. He urged the Bodos to remain united to combat the anti-indigenous forces growing in the State.
Another speaker, ex-president of Tezpur District Bodo Sahitya Sabha, Tarzu Narzary, in his speech, disclosed that at present, most Bodo-medium schools have been in a moribund state due to departmental negligence and less enrolment along with the lack of selfless service of a section of Bodo-medium teachers. Narzary urged both teachers and guardians to dedicate themselves to the cause of bringing back a proper educational environment for Bodo people.
Earlier, inaugurating the session, president of Bodo Women�s Justice Forum Anjali Daimary observed that for the Bodo language or its script, Bodos have sacrificed a lot till date as 15 people from across the State had to lay down their lives, seeking a Roman script. Though the Bodo language has attained a prestigious level, agencies concerned including the Government and different Bodo national organisations like the BSS and ABSU have to do a lot.
The frontline Bodo women�s body Anjali Daimary, expressing her annoyance over the Assam Government�s attitude towards the Bodo language and Bodo-medium schools, decried that at a time when crores of rupees have been spent on bringing about rapid changes in the State Education sector under the Right to Education Act, 2009, many Bodo-medium schools have been in a neglected state due to lack of appointments in the Bodo-medium schools.
Daimary appealed to the Government to come forward to solve the long-standing issues of Bodo-medium schools by avoiding all sorts of discrimination.