Govt doubles Bodo Sahitya Sabha annual aid

Dhemaji, Jan. 31: Celebrations began early for the Bodo Sahitya Sabha, which is gearing for its 56th session at Simen Chapori in Dhemaji starting Sunday.

Assam education and finance minister Himanta Biswa Sarma today announced that the annual financial assistance to the Sabha will be increased to Rs 20 lakh from Rs 10 lakh.

Besides, under the non-plan head, another Rs 10 lakh will be given to the Sabha for 2017-18.

A delegation of the Sabha led by BTC chief Hagrama Mahilary met Sarma on Sunday.

Sarma announced that Rs 1 crore will be given to Gauhati University and Dibrugarh University for development of the Bodo departments of the two universities. A separate academic officer for Bodo language will be appointed at the Board of Secondary Education, Assam (Seba).

The Sabha wanted a separate academic officer in Seba after mistakes were spotted in class X textbooks last year related to Bodo culture.

Sarma said the state government would grant special leave to teachers and employees under the education department to take part in the 56th session of the Sabha at SB Boro High School playground.

The "past, present and future of Bodo-medium education" will feature in the four-day event. Delegates from Nepal, Bengal and all the northeastern states will participate.

Academician like Dibrugarh University vice-chancellor Alok Kumar Buragohain will participate in the session.

Sabha general secretary Kamalakanta Mushahary told the press that the Bodo version of historian Ramila Thapor's book Early India will be released at the session. The book is part of the Sabha's project under the National Translation Mission.

Besides Early India, the Sabha will translate three other books to Bodo under the project -The Indian Constitution: Cornerstone of A Nation by Granville Austin, Principles of Mathematical Analysis by Walter Rudin and Outlines of Indian Philosophy by M. Hiriyanna.

Mushahary said they had invited representatives of Tripura, a branch of the greater Bodo community from Bangladesh, for the session. But their participation is uncertain as of now. "They visited Assam recently and are unlikely to come again. Instead, they have invited us to their country next month for a discussion on how to introduce Tripuralanguage in schools."

Mecche is another branch of the greater Bodo community that live in Nepal. Similarly, Bodos living in Bengal are known as Mech.

Mushahary said they have been trying to create a common platform for the Bodos living in Bengal, Assam, Nepal and Bangladesh. This aspect is likely to be a part of the discussions at the session.

Reception committee president Ronuj Pegu said the venue for the session will be declared as plastic-free zone.

Talking to the press, working president of the reception committee, Mineswar Narzary, and secretary Lalit Chandra Boro said 23 sub-committees have been formed to look after the delegates.

The organisers have lined up programmes like prize distribution, felicitation, book release and poets' meet