STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: Assam's Education Minister Ranoj Pegu on Monday held discussions with the Indigenous Tribal Sahitya Sabha, Assam (ITSSA), an umbrella organization of eight Sahitya Sabhas representing the indigenous Bodo, Mising, Rabha, Tiwa, Deuri, Karbi, Garo and Dimasa communities of the State, and gave an assurance that the Government will introduce the Rabha, Mising, Tiwa and Deuri languages as mediums of instruction in lower primary (LP) schools.
The Minister further stated in the social media that there will be an option to learn any tribal language as an optional subject between classes VI and VIII and as an elective subject between classes IX and XII. A strategy document on primary education in the mother tongue, with multi-language pedagogy to improve proficiency in the Assamese and English languages as well, was endorsed during the discussions.
Later, ITSSA secretary-general Kamalakanta Mochahary said that in accordance with Article 350 (A) of the Constitution and provisions of the New Education Policy 2020, it was decided at the meeting to teach the Mising, Tiwa, Rabha and Deuri languages till class VI; the Karbi language till class VIII; the Bodo and Garo languages till class XII as mediums of instruction; and the Dimasa language as subject language.
Mochahary added that the Education Minister has informed them that the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) will be directed to provide the necessary textbooks and teaching implements for the purpose.
Pegu requested the Sahitya Sabhas concerned to submit detailed lists of the relevant schools where education in the mother tongue will be introduced.
Regarding other issues discussed at the meeting, Mochahary said that they demanded that the withheld 40 per cent funds under the Assam Bhasa Gaurav scheme be released expeditiously to the Sahitya Sabhas. Further, ITSSA demanded that a grant of Rs 50,000 each be provided to 50 writers of the Mising, Rabha, Tiwa, Deuri, Karbi, Garo and Dimasa, as was granted to Assamese and Bodo writers in 2021.
They also sought grant of Rs 3 crore for the completion of the ongoing work to compile a multi-lingual dictionary of 11 languages of the region he said.
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