Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on February 26 attended the 62nd annual conference of the Bodo Sahitya Sabha held at Patgaon in Kokrajhar district.
Addressing the occasion, Sarma lauded the role of Bodo Sahitya Sabha in the enrichment of the Bodo language and literature.
“Assamese culture has benefitted immensely from the richness of Bodo art and literary tradition, adding that all necessary steps were taken to ensure the Bodo language is accorded its due status in the education sector,” Sarma said.
He further added that the Bodo language shall be introduced up to 12th standard in educational institutions and that 10 colleges within the Bodol and Territorial Region shall be provincialised in days to come, the cost for which shall be borne by the government.
The chief minister also spoke about the contributions made by “Bodofa” Upendra Nath Brahma towards the overall uplift of the Bodo population.
He exuded confidence the decision to extend the territorial extent of BTR as announced on January 26, would lead to further uplift of the Bodo population and would go a long way in fulfilling their hopes and aspirations.
Stressing the role of knowledge and wisdom in enlightening society, chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma urged upon the Bodo Sahitya Sabha, the All Bodo Students Union and the BTR administration to do everything in their capacity to bring an educational revolution in the region.
He also urged upon the Bodo Sahitya Sabha to prepare a comprehensive dictionary in the Bodo language while assuring of all necessary support from the government.
President of Bodo Sahitya Sabha Taren Boro, chief executive of BTR Pramod Boro, speaker of Assam legislative assembly Biswajit Daimary, minister UG Brahma, along with a host of other dignitaries and guests were also present on the occasion.
Earlier in the day, Sarma also attended the open session of the 36th annual conference and the golden jubilee celebration of All Rabha Sahitya Sabha at Loharghat in Kamrup district.
Sarma, speaking at the event of All Rabha Sahitya Sabha, appealed to the members of the Rabha community to stay rooted to their identity, heritage and culture, while adding that a community cannot thrive by severing its ties with its roots.
He also stressed upon the need for an educational revolution among the members of the Rabha community so as to enable them to walk hand-in-hand with their counterparts from other communities.
The chief minister stated that the government would grant an amount of Rs 2 crore for the construction of a permanent office of the All Rabha Sahitya Sabha. He further announced a grant of Rs 50 lakh to the All Rabha Sahitya Sabha so as to cover the expenses of 119 books published in relation to the annual conference.
