Assam cabinet approves Bill to make Bodo associate official language of state

The Bill is expected to be tabled in the next assembly session scheduled later this month. It would be the last session of the assembly before the polls expected in March-April next year.

Updated on: Dec 22, 2020, 21:02:04 IST

Hindustan Times, Guwahati | By Utpal Parashar

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The Assam cabinet on Tuesday approved the Assam Official Language Amendment Bill for making Bodo (in Devanagari script) an associate official language of the state.

An Assam cabinet meeting being held in Guwahati on Tuesday. (TWITTER/ @CMOfficeAssam)

The development comes 11 months after signing of the third Bodo peace accord between the Centre, Assam government, four Bodo rebel groups and two Bodo organizations, which included declaring Bodo as associate official language as one of the clauses.

According to the Census 2011, there are around 14.16 lakh Bodo speakers in Assam (4.53% of the total population of the state).

The Bill is expected to be tabled in the next assembly session scheduled later this month. It would be the last session of the assembly before the polls expected in March-April next year.

The cabinet also approved setting up of the Bodo Kachari autonomous welfare council-another clause of the Bodo accord signed in January this year.

A proposal for amendments to the Autonomous Council Acts of Kamtapur, Motak and Moran was also approved wherein provisions were introduced for formation of interim governments.

Land acquisition through direct purchase in way of negotiated settlement for improvement of state highways and major district roads was also approved by the cabinet.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Utpal Parashar
A seasoned senior journalist, I have nearly three decades of experience across print, digital, and online platforms, covering political transitions, insurgencies, environmental issues, and development stories in India and Nepal. I am skilled in breaking news, leading editorial teams and launch of newspaper editions. I am adept at leveraging digital trends and social media to expand global reach, with a strong ethical foundation and a reputation for impactful journalism. An alumnus of Asian College of Journalism, I joined Hindustan Times in New Delhi as a trainee reporter in May 1997. Over the years, I have been posted in Dehradun, Kathmandu (Nepal) and Guwahati. Currently, as Senior Assistant Editor at Hindustan Times, I lead a team reporting on India’s northeastern states. My work involves in-depth analysis, and engaging multimedia storytelling across formats, including text, photo, video, and interactive content. I am skilled in producing timely, shareable content, leveraging digital platforms and social media to engage global audiences. Throughout my career with the Hindustan Times, I have led diverse editorial teams, designed capacity-building activities, and supported reporters in developing strong story ideas, ethical reporting practices, digital skills, and fact-checking techniques. As Senior Assistant Editor for Northeast India, I have been responsible for guiding correspondents through complex political, humanitarian, and community-level stories using multimedia formats. Earlier, as Foreign Correspondent in Nepal, I produced extensive reporting during Nepal’s democratic transition and the 2015 earthquake and its aftermath.Read More

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