ABSU Protests Across Assam, Demands Action for Bodo-Medium Education

Jwngsar Boro Wednesday, January 08, 2025

Kokrajhar: The All Bodo Students’ Union (ABSU), under the leadership of its president Dipen Boro, held peaceful sit-in protests across district headquarters on Tuesday. The demonstrations were aimed at pressing the Assam government to address critical issues that have plagued Bodo-medium education for years.

Speaking on behalf of ABSU, Dipen Boro expressed frustration over the continued neglect of the community’s educational needs. “Education is a fundamental right. By delaying action, the government is not just ignoring our demands but also depriving our future generations of opportunities they rightfully deserve. We are here to ensure justice for Bodo-medium education,” he said.

Core Demands

During the protests, ABSU highlighted several pressing demands, including:

  1. Recognition of the Bodo Language:

    • Inclusion of Bodo as a subject in the Assam Judicial Service Examinations.
    • Recognition of Bodo as Language 1 in the Central Teacher Eligibility Test (CTET).

  2. Improvement of Educational Infrastructure:

    • Establishing 35 new Model High Schools in the Bodo medium.
    • Upgrading 101 Bodo-medium High Schools to Higher Secondary Schools, with recruitment of teachers for the upgraded institutions.

  3. Provincialization of Schools:

    • Immediate provincialization of venture schools as per Clause 6.3 of the Bodo Territorial Region (BTR) Accord.

  4. Academic Appointments:

    • Recruitment of Academic Officers for Bodo-medium education at the Assam State School Education Board (ASSEB) and the Assam Textbook and Publication Corporation.
    • Appointment of a Lecturer in the Bodo language for the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT).

  5. Higher Education in Bodo:

    • Introducing Bodo as a medium of instruction in Model Degree Colleges in Baksa, Dhudnoi, and Balipara.
    • Appointing one Assistant Professor for each Bodo department in 10 colleges outside the BTR.

  6. Early Childhood Education:

    • Distribution of educational books in the Bodo language at Anganwadi centers.
    • Recruitment of two permanent teachers for every school under the Education Guarantee Scheme (EGS) offering Bodo-medium education.

Commitment to NEP 2020 Goals

The demands align with the objectives of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which advocates for education in one’s mother tongue. Dipen Boro emphasized that these actions are vital to preserving the Bodo language and culture. “The NEP envisions promoting regional languages, but the neglect of Bodo-medium education contradicts its goals. We urge the government to act immediately to honor these commitments,” he stated.

Appeal to the Chief Minister

ABSU called on the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Assam to take decisive action to resolve these issues. “The government must prioritize the educational aspirations of the Bodo community. Timely intervention can ensure the growth and preservation of our language and culture,” Boro added.

Future Course of Action

While the protests were peaceful, ABSU warned that continued delays would compel the organization to escalate its agitation. “This is only the beginning. If the government fails to act, we will intensify our democratic movement,” said Dipen Boro.

The three-hour sit-in protest concluded with ABSU reaffirming its resolve to fight for the educational rights of the Bodo community. The union urged the government to act swiftly to address the demands and prevent further unrest.