<div dir="ltr"><h1 class="gmail-heading gmail-selectionShareable">Sanskrit in Assam schools: BJP faces tribal groups’ ire over ‘saffronisation’ of education</h1> <div class="gmail-synopsis"><h2 class="gmail-selectionShareable">A
massive controversy has erupted in Assam after the ruling BJP
government in the state has made Sanskrit compulsory in government
schools.</h2></div> <div class="gmail-author-detail gmail-clearfix"> <div class="gmail-posted-by"> <div class="gmail-author-profile gmail-posted-by">By: <a rel="author" href="http://www.oneindia.com/authors/maitreyee-boruah.html" title="Google Plus Profile for Maitreyee Boruah">Maitreyee Boruah</a></div> </div> <div class="gmail-time-date gmail-date-time"> <span> <time datetime="2017-03-06T13:53:28Z">
Published: Monday, March 6, 2017, 13:53 [IST]
</time> </span> </div> </div> <div id="gmail-youtube_promo" style="float:right;padding-top:15px;width:340px"><span style="padding-right:5px;line-height:30px;display:block;float:left">Subscribe to Oneindia News</span></div> <article> <div class="ecom-ad-content gmail-selectionShareable"> <p>Guwahati, March 6: The Bharatiya Janata Party government in <a href="http://www.oneindia.com/topic/assam" alt="Topic: Assam" title="Topic: Assam">Assam</a> is facing opposition from various <a href="http://www.oneindia.com/topic/tribal" alt="Topic: tribal" title="Topic: tribal">tribal</a> groups after it has recently decided to make <a href="http://www.oneindia.com/topic/sanskrit" alt="Topic: Sanskrit" title="Topic: Sanskrit">Sanskrit</a> compulsory in all government schools till class VIII. The recent decision by Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal-led <a href="http://www.oneindia.com/topic/bjp" alt="Topic: BJP" title="Topic: BJP">BJP</a>
government in the northeastern state is seen by many as 'saffronisation
of education' and a 'politically motivated' stunt to destroy the
secular fabric of Assam.</p><p>The Indigenous Tribal Sahitya Sabhas,
Assam, on Sunday, threatened to start a massive agitation if the BJP
government in the state did not withdraw its decision to make Sanskrit
compulsory in schools.</p><p><strong></strong></p><div class="gmail-big_center_img"><div><figure><strong><img src="http://www.oneindia.com/img/2016/05/xsarbananda-sonowal6-22-1463918852.jpg.pagespeed.ic.3m1zDml01Z.jpg" class="gmail-image_listical" style="border-width: 0px; border-style: none; border-color: -moz-use-text-color; border-image: none;" alt="Sarbananda Sonowal" title="Sarbananda Sonowal" id="gmail-rev_content_1" vspace="5" hspace="5"><div class="gmail-image-text-links"><figcaption>The Sarbananda Sonowal cabinet decided to make Sanskrit compulsory in all government schools till class VIII</figcaption></div></strong></figure><div class="gmail-ventuno-after-img gmail-clearfix"><div id="gmail-vtnEditorialPlayer" style="display:block;height:412.875px" class="gmail-vtn-ev-card"><div class="gmail-vtc-card-title" style="height:39px"><span class="gmail-undefined"></span><span class="gmail-undefined">VIDEO : Assam's Govt move to make Sanskrit compulsory draws criticism : Watch video</span><span class="gmail-undefined"></span></div><div class="gmail-vtc-card-content" style="height:340.875px"><div class="gmail-vtc-card-poster" style="width:606px;height:340.875px"><div class="gmail-vtc-card-imgwrpr"><img class="gmail-vtc-card-img" src="http://ventunovideos.edgesuite.net/1011/04-03-2017/you__QTCW0JSP_crop_org_resize_640x360.jpg"></div><div class="gmail-vtc-player-area" style="display:block;opacity:1"><div class="gmail-vtc-player-wrpr"><div class="gmail-vtc-player-wrpr-inner"><div id="gmail-vtn-player-holder-020713239563008568" class="gmail-vtn-webplyr-outer-guid_c795a743_eaa1_a0d2_93b5_d791381de33e gmail-vtn-webplyr-view" style="width:100%;height:100%;max-width:100%;max-height:100%;min-width:100%;min-height:100%"><div class="gmail-vtn-webplyr-inner"><div class="gmail-vtn-webplyr-lp" style="display:block"><div class="gmail-vtn-webplyr-inner-ln gmail-vtn-webplyr-outer-guid_21f1801b_37bd_c902_53fa_523da5128bca gmail-vtn-webplyr-view gmail-vtn-chilview" 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gmail-vtn-acd-dark"><div class="gmail-vtn-webplyr-adcountdown-title" style="top: 314px;">: Ad ends in...</div></div></div></div><div class="gmail-vtn-screen-container gmail-vtn-hit-active-container gmail-vtn-screen-active" id="gmail-screen-plugin-1488816099513015968735192265915" style="width:606px;height:341px;display:block"><div class="gmail-vtn-webplyr-fillfit"><div class="gmail-vtn-webplyr-loader" style="height:72px;width:72px"><div class="gmail-vtn-webplyr-fillfit gmail-vtn-webplyr-spin"><div class="gmail-vtn-webplyr-fillquater" style="fill: rgb(196, 64, 38);"></div></div></div><div class="gmail-vtn-webplyr-playbtn-box" style="height:61px;width:61px"><div class="gmail-vtn-webplyr-fillfit" style="fill: rgb(196, 64, 38);"></div><div class="gmail-vtn-webplyr-playbtn-inner" style="fill: white;"></div><div class="gmail-vtn-webplyr-playbtn-icon" style="fill: rgb(196, 64, 38);"></div></div></div></div><div class="gmail-vtn-webplyr-inner-nln gmail-vtn-wp-pt-container" id="gmail-privthumb-view-148881610562804230698031068273"><div class="gmail-vtn-wp-pt-box gmail-vtn-dark gmail-vtn-wp-pt-right gmail-vtn-wp-pt-c44026" style="display:block;width:185px"><div class="gmail-vtn-wp-pt-thumb-box" style="right: 0px;"><div class="gmail-vtn-wp-pt-img-cntnr"><img src="http://ventunovideos.edgesuite.net/1011/04-03-2017/you__QTCW0JSP_crop_org_resize_640x360.jpg"></div><span class="gmail-vtn-wp-pt-durtn-hldr">01:28</span></div><div class="gmail-vtn-wp-pt-upnxt-msg-box" style="right: 92px;"><div>Video will<br>play after ad</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div class="gmail-vtn-footer-powdby"><a class="gmail-undefined gmail-vtc-video-powd" href="http://www.ventunotech.com" title="Ventuno : Online Video Platform | Mobile Advertising Network | Content Distribution" target="_blank">Powered by<span></span></a></div></div></div></div></div><p>The
ITSS is a literary body consisting of eight major indigenous
communities--Bodo, Mising, Karbi, Tiwa, Rabha, Deuri, Dimasa and
Garo--from Assam.</p><div class="gmail-videos-right-listing"><div class="gmail-popular-videos"><a href="http://www.oneindia.com/videos/" target="_blank">Popular Videos</a></div><ul><li class="gmail-clearfix"><div class="gmail-videos-thumbimg"><a href="http://www.oneindia.com/videos/assams-govt-move-to-make-sanskrit-compulsory-draws-criticism-watch-video-90026.html?utm_source=articles&utm_medium=videowidget&utm_campaign=videopromotion" target="_blank" title="Assam\'s Govt move to make Sanskrit compulsory draws criticism : Watch video"><img src="cid:ii_15aa45b9ef32b5e5" alt="Inline image 2" width="90" height="60"><span class="gmail-video-timimg">00:01:28</span></a></div><div class="gmail-videos-heading"><a href="http://www.oneindia.com/videos/assams-govt-move-to-make-sanskrit-compulsory-draws-criticism-watch-video-90026.html?utm_source=articles&utm_medium=videowidget&utm_campaign=videopromotion" target="_blank" title="Assam\'s Govt move to make Sanskrit compulsory draws criticism : Watch video"> Assam\'s Govt move to make Sanskrit compulsory draws criticism : Watch video</a></div></li><li class="gmail-clearfix"><div class="gmail-videos-thumbimg"><a href="http://www.oneindia.com/videos/up-elections-2017-pm-modi-and-amit-shah-are-terrorists-says-sp-77477.html?utm_source=articles&utm_medium=videowidget&utm_campaign=videopromotion" target="_blank" title="UP Elections 2017: PM Modi and Amit shah are terrorists, says SP"><img src="cid:ii_15aa45ba1cbfe100" alt="Inline image 1" width="90" height="60"><span class="gmail-video-timimg">00:01:32</span></a></div><div class="gmail-videos-heading"><a href="http://www.oneindia.com/videos/up-elections-2017-pm-modi-and-amit-shah-are-terrorists-says-sp-77477.html?utm_source=articles&utm_medium=videowidget&utm_campaign=videopromotion" target="_blank" title="UP Elections 2017: PM Modi and Amit shah are terrorists, says SP"> UP Elections 2017: PM Modi and Amit shah are terrorists, says SP</a></div></li><li class="gmail-clearfix"><div class="gmail-videos-thumbimg"><a href="http://www.oneindia.com/videos/uttarakhand-2017-former-cm-pokhriyal-cast-vote-watch-video-72589.html?utm_source=articles&utm_medium=videowidget&utm_campaign=videopromotion" target="_blank" title="Uttarakhand 2017: Former CM Pokhriyal cast vote: Watch video"><img src="cid:ii_15aa45ba2f82a149" alt="Inline image 3" width="90" height="60"><span class="gmail-video-timimg">00:01:51</span></a></div><div class="gmail-videos-heading"><a href="http://www.oneindia.com/videos/uttarakhand-2017-former-cm-pokhriyal-cast-vote-watch-video-72589.html?utm_source=articles&utm_medium=videowidget&utm_campaign=videopromotion" target="_blank" title="Uttarakhand 2017: Former CM Pokhriyal cast vote: Watch video"> Uttarakhand 2017: Former CM Pokhriyal cast vote: Watch video</a></div></li></ul></div><p>The
decision to make the subject compulsory in schools has been opposed
tooth and nail as the state has numerous ethnic and linguistic
communities having their own languages.</p><p>"We have been demanding
the state government to follow a partial four-language policy so that
the students from various indigenous communities get the opportunity to
study their mother tongue. Instead of implementing the four-language
policy, the state government is going to impose a dead language on the
students. This is not acceptable. We will launch a statewide mass
agitation along with our sister organisations if the government does not
withdraw the decision," said Gobind Taid, president of the forum.</p><p>"We
suspect the decision was taken by the state government to deprive the
students of the indigenous communities from studying their own
languages," said Bisweswar Basumatary, vice-president of Bodo Sahitya
Sabha.</p><p>The forum accused the government of doing great disservice to the students and parents by imposing Sanskrit on young children.</p><p>"By
imposing Sanskrit on government schools, the state government is going
to discourage parents from sending children to government schools. Thus,
the state government is encouraging private schools," said Pradip
Chandra Deuri, vice-president of Deuri Sahitya Sabha.</p><p>However,
the government maintains that by making Sanskrit compulsory in schools,
it is helping to revive a 'dying language' widely-used by scholars
during the ancient times in Assam</p><p>OneIndia News</p> </div> </article><br clear="all"><br>-- <br><div class="gmail_signature">**************************************<br>N.b.: Listing on the lgpolicy-list is merely intended as a service to its members<br>and implies neither approval, confirmation nor agreement by the owner or sponsor of the list as to the veracity of a message's contents. Members who disagree with a message are encouraged to post a rebuttal, and to write directly to the original sender of any offensive message. A copy of this may be forwarded to this list as well. (H. Schiffman, Moderator)<br><a href="http://www.oneindia.com/india/sanskrit-assam-schools-bjp-faces-tribal-groups-ire-over-s-2366235.html">http://www.oneindia.com/india/sanskrit-assam-schools-bjp-faces-tribal-groups-ire-over-s-2366235.html</a><br><br><br>For more information about the lgpolicy-list, go to <a href="https://groups.sas.upenn.edu/mailman/" target="_blank">https://groups.sas.upenn.edu/mailman/</a><br>listinfo/lgpolicy-list<br>*******************************************</div>
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