GUWAHATI: The Non-Bodo Surakshya Samiti, Assam has termed the state Cabinet’s decision to request the Centre to exclude Bodoland Territorial Area Districts while amending Article 345 of the Constitution to make Assamese the state language as “unacceptable”, alleging the move has deprived the Assamese-speaking people living in BTAD of their rights.
Apart from BTAD, state Cabinet had in the meeting on Saturday also decided that Assamese would not be the official state language in Barak Valley and the hills districts of the state.
“The Samiti has, for a long time, been pressing for making Assamese the official language of the state in the areas under Bodoland Territorial Council. However, the latest resolution of the Cabinet has only deprived all Assamese people living in BTAD of their rights,” a statement issued by the Samiti on Sunday, said.
The Cabinet had also decided to bring a Bill in the next Assembly session to make Assamese a compulsory subject up to Class X in all English, Hindi and Bengali medium schools of Assam, barring those in Barak Valley, BTAD and hills districts of the state.
“We feel that the Cabinet move on Saturday is a conspiracy to stifle the ongoing movement against the Citizenship Amendment Act 2019. However, such a ‘divisive’ move cannot curb the peoples’ movement which is gaining momentum across the state,” the Samiti asserted.
The Samiti further threatened to take up an agitation programme against the Cabinet move and the government’s stance on CAA. “In view of the government’s indifferent stance, the Samiti has decided to call a 24-hour ‘Assam Bandh’ from 5am on December 24, 2019 and all anti-CAA protests have been exempted. Besides, the Samiti is organising a protest progamme at Musalpur in Baksa district on December 27, 2019,” it stated.