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<div class="gmail-webonly" style="text-align:center;margin-bottom:10px" id="gmail-ROS_FIC_6511533965115339"><div id="gmail-google_ads_iframe_/7176/TOI/TOI_ROS_STRIP_PPD_980_0__container__" style="border:0pt none;display:inline-block;width:980px;height:40px"></div></div><div name="netspidersosh" id="gmail-netspidersosh"></div><div class="gmail-wrapper gmail-clearfix gmail-article-content-wrapper"><div class="gmail-main-content"><section class="gmail-title_section gmail-clearfix"><h1 class="gmail-heading1"><span>Asam Sahitya Sabha gives government two-month ultimatum on use of Assamese</span></h1><div class="gmail-brandwire_txt"></div><span><a target="_blank" class="gmail-auth_detail" rel="author" href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/toireporter/author-Kangkan-Kalita-479220587.cms">Kangkan Kalita</a></span><span class="gmail-time_cptn"> | <span><span>TNN</span></span> | <span>Jul 24, 2018, 12:29 IST<time datetime="2018-07-24T12:29:14+05:30"></time></span></span><div class="gmail-leftsocial"><div id="gmail-widget-two"></div><div class="gmail-toiwidgets_social"></div></div><div class="gmail-topsocial gmail-actions"><div class="gmail-toiwidgets_social"></div></div></section><section class="gmail-highlight gmail-clearfix"><img src="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/thumb/msid-65115374,imgsize-340152,width-400,resizemode-4/65115374.jpg" alt="A meeting between the Assam Sahitya Sabha and seven tribal organisations of the state in Guwahati on Monday" title="A meeting between the Assam Sahitya Sabha and seven tribal organisations of the state in Guwahati on Monday"><span class="gmail-img_cptn">A meeting between the Assam Sahitya Sabha and seven tribal organisations of the state in Guwahati on Monday</span></section><div class="gmail-article_content gmail-clearfix"><span><div class="gmail-section1"><div class="gmail-Normal">GUWAHATI:
 Asam Sahitya Sabha, the apex literary body of the state, on Monday gave
 a two-month ultimatum to the state government to <a class="gmail-key_underline" href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/start-communications">start communications</a> pertaining to departmental work in Assamese, as per The Assam Official Language Act 1960, to promote the language. 

<br>
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<br>Raising concern over the decline in the number of Assamese-speaking 
people to 48.38% in the recently published Census report, Sahitya Sabha 
has demanded that the two state universities - Gauhati University (GU) 
and <a class="gmail-key_underline" href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Dibrugarh">Dibrugarh</a>
 University (DU) - give students an opportunity to pursue higher 
education in Assamese and not compulsorily in English, especially during
 graduation. The Sabha also said Assamese must be made compulsory as a 
subject across all schools.
<br>
<br>"The latest Census data is worrying for us. The Assam government, as
 well as Gauhati University and Dibrugarh University, have to be blamed 
for this alarming decline in the number of Assamese speakers and 
speakers of some indigenous language. If urgent steps are not taken to 
popularize the language from the school level to university level, it 
won't be a surprise if the percentage of Assamese-speaking people 
diminish to about 25% in the 2021 Census," said Sabha president 
Paramananda Rajbongshi after a meeting between with seven tribal 
literary organizations in the city.
<br>
<div class="gmail-last8brdiv"><div class="gmail-sponsor_block gmail-clearfix gmail-loaded" style="display:none"><ul class="gmail-colombiatracked" id="gmail-129146-651153391" style="display:block;width:100%"><li><a target="_blank" href="https://ade.clmbtech.com/evnt/click.htm?r=YThlYWZkZWYtNGVlOC00MWE1LTk1MWQtYTA3OGU3ZWU4NjMyLTFzajdrOjEyOTE0NjphbGwsNXhxLDluajoyMzg1MTE4NDoxOjM5NTIxNTI6NzMzOjA6OjE4LjkwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMjowOjY1MTE1MzM5MToxOjI5ODkyOjA6OjoyOjEwOC4yNC4xNDMuMjI2Ok1vemlsbGEvNS4wIChXaW5kb3dzIE5UIDEwLjA7IFdpbjY0OyB4NjQ7IHJ2Q09MT042MS4wKSBHZWNrby8yMDEwMDEwMSBGaXJlZm94LzYxLjA6OjAuMDowOjA6OjE2OjE6MDowOjQ6OjoxNTMyNTMxMjEwODQyOmZhbHNlOjE4MDQ4&fpc=dab87e5d-eaad-48d1-b5e6-8fe18679eb92-3rms&i=L861g103b999&s=https%253A%252F%252Ftimesofindia.indiatimes.com%252Fcity%252Fguwahati%252Fasam-sahitya-sabha-gives-government-two-month-ultimatum-on-use-of-assamese%252Farticleshow%252F65115339.cms&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ketto.org%2Fstories%2Fhelpgauri%3Futm_campaign%3Dhelpgauri%26utm_medium%3Dtimescol%26utm_source%3Dexternal_timescol%26utm_term%3DRoN_USA_TopCities_All%26utm_content%3Dhelpgauri_pic1sub1_P-2b_T-1-9"><img src="https://static.clmbtech.com/ctn/29892/images/1/c3d6e7d1ccf1e82dd51a277c7dcaf94f_1532417563811_0.jpg"><span>I earn Rs. 100/day; I will lose my child if I don't pay</span><i class="gmail-sponsor">Ketto</i></a></li><li><a target="_blank" href="https://ade.clmbtech.com/evnt/click.htm?r=YThlYWZkZWYtNGVlOC00MWE1LTk1MWQtYTA3OGU3ZWU4NjMyLTFzajdrOjEyOTE0NjphbGwsNXhxLDluajoxNjUwODEwMjoxODozODE2NTE3OjczMzowOjoyNy4zODQ6MDo2NTExNTMzOTE6MToxMTkxOjA6OjoyOjEwOC4yNC4xNDMuMjI2Ok1vemlsbGEvNS4wIChXaW5kb3dzIE5UIDEwLjA7IFdpbjY0OyB4NjQ7IHJ2Q09MT042MS4wKSBHZWNrby8yMDEwMDEwMSBGaXJlZm94LzYxLjA6OjAuMDowOjA6NzA4LTE6NjoxOjA6MDo0Ojo6MTUzMjUzMTIxMDg0MjpmYWxzZTo2OTIyOQ&fpc=dab87e5d-eaad-48d1-b5e6-8fe18679eb92-3rms&i=L861g103b999&s=https%253A%252F%252Ftimesofindia.indiatimes.com%252Fcity%252Fguwahati%252Fasam-sahitya-sabha-gives-government-two-month-ultimatum-on-use-of-assamese%252Farticleshow%252F65115339.cms&u=https%3A%2F%2Fad.doubleclick.net%2Fddm%2Fclk%2F403985631%3B203758260%3Bh"><img src="https://static.clmbtech.com/ctn/1191/images/1/05f56be9f7b80f7badfcea466c8b0710_1505291233533_0.jpg"><span>Take us along for the pleasant drive.</span><i class="gmail-sponsor">STATE FARM INSURANCE</i></a></li></ul><div class="gmail-alR"><span class="gmail-clmblogo">Recommended By Colombia<i class="gmail-clmcup"></i></span></div></div></div><br>After
 the meeting, Sabha officials said the state government must make 
teaching of Assamese as a language and subject compulsory across all 
schools located in the Brahmaputra Valley as well as Bengali-majority <a class="gmail-key_underline" href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Barak-Valley">Barak Valley</a>.
<div class="gmail-last7brdiv"></div><br>
<div class="gmail-last6brdiv"></div><br>The 2001 Census had already set alarm 
bells ringing among the Assamese community in the state, with the 
percentage of Assamese-speaking people in the state declining from 
57.81% (as recorded in the 1991 Census) to 48.8%. The 2011 Census 
figures showed a further decline in this figure to 48.38%.
<div class="gmail-last5brdiv"></div><br>
<div class="gmail-last4brdiv"></div><br>Hitting out at the GU and DU 
authorities for allegedly neglecting Assamese, Rajbongshi said 
Assamese-speaking students are facing trouble as they cannot appear in 
some vital exams conducted by the universities in English. "We demand 
that the two state universities implement <a class="gmail-key_underline" href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/Assamese-language">Assamese language</a>
 truly. Books meant for the university students should also be made 
available in Assamese language. Besides, the private universities must 
come out with an explanation within these two months on how they have 
contributed towards promoting Assamese and other local languages," 
Rajbongshi added.
<div class="gmail-last3brdiv"></div><br>
<div class="gmail-last2brdiv"></div><br>During Monday's meeting with the seven
 tribal literary organizations, discussions were held on the state's 
language policy, which is to be suggested jointly by the literary 
organizations to the state government in first week of August.
</div></div></span></div></div></div>

<br clear="all"><br>-- <br><div class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature">=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+<br><br> Harold F. Schiffman<br><br>Professor Emeritus of <br> Dravidian Linguistics and Culture <br>Dept. of South Asia Studies                     <br>University of Pennsylvania<br>Philadelphia, PA 19104-6305<br><br>Phone:  (215) 898-7475<br>Fax:  (215) 573-2138                                      <br><br>Email:  <a href="mailto:haroldfs@gmail.com" target="_blank">haroldfs@gmail.com</a><br><a href="http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/~haroldfs/" target="_blank">http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/~haroldfs/</a>    <br><br>-------------------------------------------------</div>
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