Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday announced that Bodo will be introduced as medium of instruction in Classes XI and XII in Bodo-inhabited areas of the state.

Sarma made the announcement at the 61st annual conference of Bodo Sahitya Sabha held at Tamulpur under the BodoTerritorial Region (BTR) in presence of President Ram Nath Kovind.

Sarma said the introduction of Bodo as medium of instruction in Plus 2 level will start with few select schools across Bodo-inhabited areas and will be gradually and eventually introduced till the post-graduate level. At present, Bodo is the medium of instruction till Class X.

There are over 14 lakh Bodo speakers spread across Assam.

Besides committing the introduction of Bodo language in Class XI and XII, Sarma also announced that the state government will provide Rs. 50 lakh to each district dominated by Bodo-speaking people for setting up of the office of Bodo Sahitya Sabha, besides Rs 5 crore as revolving fund to the BSS to help its activities for the enrichment and promotion of Bodo language and literature. The BSS was established in 1952 to preserve and promote Bodo language, literature and culture.

Sarma also released a book, ‘Rules of Procedure and conduct of Business in Assam Legislative Assembly’, in Bodo language. The state government had made the Bodo language an associate official language in 2020.

President Kovind in his speech at the BSS conference said the conservation and promotion of local languages was the “responsibility” of the society and the government while appealing to the Assam government to make efforts to promote Bodo language.

Kovind appreciated the BSS for making invaluable contribution for the past 70 years in strengthening the Bodo language, literature and culture. This Sabha has also played important role in use of Bodo language as the medium of school education and place in the higher education, he said, while urging the BSS to encourage women and young writers.

Besides Kovind, the BSS conference was graced by Assam governor Prof. Jagdish Mukhi, Meghalaya chief minister Conrad Sangma, chief executive member of BTC Promod Bodo and Sikkim chief minister Prem SinghTamang.

Later in the evening, Kovind attended the valedictory function of the North East Festival in Guwahati where he said that the region is the natural gateway for India to South-East Asia and beyond with its over 5,300 km of international borders with several neighbouring countries.

“What it (northeast) offers in terms of tourism, horticulture, handloom and sports is often unique. Efforts are needed now to place the North-Eastern states on par with the industrially advanced states so that more jobs are created here...,” Kovind said. However, the President warned of the threat posed by the emergence of climate change, adding careful planning and efforts will be needed in the years to come to preserve the rich ecological heritage of the Northeast.

He said the region is part of the Himalaya and Indo-Burma bio-diversity hotspots — the two of 25 such hotspots in the world.

“Development choices for the region must, therefore, integrate relevant strategies for natural resource management, green industrial and infrastructure development as well as sustainable consumption patterns,” Kovind said.