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<article> <h1>Pegu to act as mediator</h1> <div class="gmail-story-info gmail-mar-tb10"> <span class="gmail-author-name">Rajiv Konwar</span> <span class="gmail-publish-date">Aug 02, 2018 00:00 IST</span> </div> <div class="gmail-bottom-story-share gmail-text-right gmail-mar-tb10"> <div class="gmail-addthis_inline_share_toolbox" style="clear:both"><div id="gmail-atstbx" class="gmail-at-resp-share-element gmail-at-style-responsive gmail-addthis-smartlayers gmail-addthis-animated gmail-at4-show"><span id="gmail-at-24363495-2433-4566-9488-dc0252a1fe81" class="gmail-at4-visually-hidden">AddThis Sharing Buttons</span><div class="gmail-at-share-btn-elements"><a tabindex="1" class="gmail-at-icon-wrapper gmail-at-share-btn gmail-at-svc-facebook" style="background-color:rgb(59,89,152);border-radius:26px"><span class="gmail-at4-visually-hidden">Share to Facebook</span><span class="gmail-at-icon-wrapper" style="line-height:20px;height:20px;width:20px"></span></a><a tabindex="1" class="gmail-at-icon-wrapper gmail-at-share-btn gmail-at-svc-twitter" style="background-color:rgb(29,161,242);border-radius:26px"><span class="gmail-at4-visually-hidden">Share to Twitter</span><span class="gmail-at-icon-wrapper" style="line-height:20px;height:20px;width:20px"></span></a><a tabindex="1" class="gmail-at-icon-wrapper gmail-at-share-btn gmail-at-svc-linkedin" style="background-color:rgb(0,119,181);border-radius:26px"><span class="gmail-at4-visually-hidden">Share to LinkedIn</span><span class="gmail-at-icon-wrapper" style="line-height:20px;height:20px;width:20px"></span></a><a tabindex="1" class="gmail-at-icon-wrapper gmail-at-share-btn gmail-at-svc-whatsapp" style="background-color:rgb(77,194,71);border-radius:26px"><span class="gmail-at4-visually-hidden">Share to WhatsApp</span><span class="gmail-at-icon-wrapper" style="line-height:20px;height:20px;width:20px"></span></a><a tabindex="1" class="gmail-at-icon-wrapper gmail-at-share-btn gmail-at-svc-email" style="background-color:rgb(132,132,132);border-radius:26px"><span class="gmail-at4-visually-hidden">Share to Email</span><span class="gmail-at-icon-wrapper" style="line-height:20px;height:20px;width:20px"></span></a></div></div></div> </div> <div> <div class="gmail-center"> <figure class="gmail-image gmail-story-lead-img" style="float:left"> <img alt="" src="https://www.telegraphindia.com/media/images/2018/08/02/2regSabha.jpg" class="gmail-img-responsive" width="468" height="502"> <figcaption class="gmail-img-caption"> Asam Sahitya Sabha members and leaders of literary bodies of indigenous communities hold a meeting in Guwahati. File picture </figcaption> </figure> </div> <p><b>Guwahati: </b>The
BJP-led government in Assam has appointed Dhemaji MLA Ranoj Pegu as
mediator between the Asam Sahitya Sabha and literary bodies of eight
indigenous communities to thresh out their differences.</p> <p>Though
the prime focus of the Sabha and the literary bodies is development of
language and literature, their opi-nion on other social issues be-ars
significant impact on society.</p> <p>The Sabha has been in a discord
with the literary bodies of the indigenous communities for years over a
language policy for Assam. While the literary bodies had supported a
"partial four-language" policy, the Sabha had opposed it.</p><div class="gmail-more-from-homepage"> <h2>More from Homepage</h2> <ul> <li> <span> <a href="https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/why-she-is-angry-249688?ref=north-east-hmstory-stry-dtl" title="Why she is angry"> <img src="https://www.telegraphindia.com/media/images/2018/08/03/3regDevi_3C.jpg" alt="Image" class="gmail-img-responsive"> </a> </span> <h4><div class="gmail-multiline-ellipsis-container"><a href="https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/why-she-is-angry-249688?ref=north-east-hmstory-stry-dtl" title="Why she is angry" class="gmail-multiline-ellipsis-text">Why she is angry</a></div></h4> </li> <li> <span> <a href="https://www.telegraphindia.com/states/north-east/aasu-battle-not-yet-over-249584?ref=north-east-hmstory-stry-dtl" title="AASU: Battle not yet over"> <img src="https://www.telegraphindia.com/images/logo_200x200.png" alt="The Telegraph" class="gmail-img-responsive"> </a> </span> <h4><div class="gmail-multiline-ellipsis-container"><a href="https://www.telegraphindia.com/states/north-east/aasu-battle-not-yet-over-249584?ref=north-east-hmstory-stry-dtl" title="AASU: Battle not yet over" class="gmail-multiline-ellipsis-text">AASU: Battle not yet over</a></div></h4> </li> <li> <span> <a href="https://www.telegraphindia.com/states/north-east/trinamul-team-detained-at-airportmps-allege-barbarism-cops-hurt-249568?ref=north-east-hmstory-stry-dtl" title="Trinamul team detained at airport"> <img src="https://www.telegraphindia.com/media/images/2018/08/03/TMC3(1).jpg" alt="Image" class="gmail-img-responsive"> </a> </span> <h4><div class="gmail-multiline-ellipsis-container"><a href="https://www.telegraphindia.com/states/north-east/trinamul-team-detained-at-airportmps-allege-barbarism-cops-hurt-249568?ref=north-east-hmstory-stry-dtl" title="Trinamul team detained at airport" class="gmail-multiline-ellipsis-text">Trinamul team detained at ai…</a></div></h4> </li> <li> <span> <a href="https://www.telegraphindia.com/states/north-east/army-officer-booked-in-fake-killing-249569?ref=north-east-hmstory-stry-dtl" title="Army officer booked in 'fake killing'"> <img src="https://www.telegraphindia.com/images/logo_200x200.png" alt="The Telegraph" class="gmail-img-responsive"> </a> </span> <h4><div class="gmail-multiline-ellipsis-container"><a href="https://www.telegraphindia.com/states/north-east/army-officer-booked-in-fake-killing-249569?ref=north-east-hmstory-stry-dtl" title="Army officer booked in 'fake killing'" class="gmail-multiline-ellipsis-text">Army officer booked in 'fa…</a></div></h4> </li> </ul> </div> <p style="display:block" class="gmail-_yeti_done">The
difference widened when the Sabha's former president, Dhruba Jyoti
Borah, set forward a broad outline in 2015 of who is an Assamese.</p><div class="gmail-_yeti_main_container" style="display:block;height:auto;width:100%;text-align:center;padding:0px;margin:auto;overflow:hidden;background:transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%"><div class="gmail-_yeti_ad_container" id="gmail-fi-ash-1530622350-1111" name="_yeti_43819" style="margin:5px auto;padding:0px;width:728px;height:90px;overflow:hidden"></div></div> <p>Borah
had said an Assamese is a person who "irrespective of community,
language, religion and place of origin accepts Assamese as his/her
mother tongue or either second or third language". This was opposed by
the literary bodies.</p> <p>"Chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal has asked
Pegu to mediate between the Sabha and the literary organisations.
Accordingly, Pegu had sat with us on June 13 and requested us to sort
out the differences," a leader of one of the literary bodies said.</p> <p>All
Assam Students' Union (AASU) adviser Samujjal Kumar Bhattacharjya had
also requested the Sabha a few weeks ago to resolve the matter so that
all the literary bodies of the state can raise a united voice on issues
like Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016, and update of the National
Register of Citizens.</p> <p>Following Sonowal's intervention, the Sabha
recently held a meeting with the literary bodies of the indigenous
communities. After the "cordial" meeting, the Sabha said it had proposed
a new language policy.</p> <p>"But the Sabha has not proposed anything
concrete now. The indigenous literary bodies will sit together on Friday
morning and discuss the issue. On the same day, we will sit with the
Sabha to see if we can formulate a common language policy. The
government has convened a meeting again on August 7," he said, adding
that the meeting with the Sabha is going in a positive direction.</p> </div> </article>
<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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