Anandaram Dhekial Phukan: Pioneer of Assamese renaissance and guardian of Assamese language

Dipak Kurmi

(The writer can be reached at dipakkurmiglpltd@gmail.com)

Anandaram Dhekial Phukan, a towering personality in the history of Assam, played a crucial role in the revival and preservation of Assamese culture and language during a period of cultural and political turmoil. His vision, dedication, and efforts left a lasting impact on the linguistic, educational, and social landscape of Assam. Often referred to as the “Raja Ram Mohan Roy of Assam,” Phukan’s intellectual endeavours focused on the revitalisation of Assamese identity, especially through the promotion of the Assamese language and vernacular education. He was the torchbearer of Assam’s renaissance, continuing the work initiated by his father, Haliram Dhekial Phukan, who had planted the seeds of Assam’s cultural revival through his historical work Assam Buranji and his advocacy for women’s education.

This article delves into Anandaram Dhekial Phukan’s profound contributions to Assamese society, particularly in the fields of education and language, his struggle to establish the Assamese language as distinct from Bengali, and his philosophical outlook on the importance of cultural and linguistic identity.

Early Life and Influence of Haliram Dhekial Phukan: Anandaram Dhekial Phukan was born into a family committed to social and cultural reform. His father, Haliram Dhekial Phukan, was a distinguished historian who authored Assam Buranji, one of the first comprehensive historical accounts of Assam. More than just a historian, Haliram was a visionary who saw education as the foundation for societal progress, and he was particularly supportive of women’s education, a cause not commonly advocated during his time. These influences shaped Anandaram’s worldview and set him on the path of enlightenment, making him a pivotal figure in Assam’s renaissance.

Anandaram was deeply committed to the cause of education, and his central belief was that no society could progress without education in its mother tongue. He understood that the key to a people’s advancement was through language—the language of their land, their heritage, and their heart.

Advocate of Vernacular Education and Assam’s Cultural Revival: In the era of colonial India, education was largely imparted in foreign languages like English and Bengali. Anandaram Dhekial Phukan recognized that while learning foreign languages such as English and Bengali was necessary for global communication and competitive growth, neglecting one’s mother tongue would ultimately erode the cultural foundation of society. He strongly advocated for the introduction of vernacular education in Assamese, emphasizing that learning in one’s native language would enhance the understanding of concepts and real-life situations among the masses. Phukan argued that true education could not take root unless it was in a language that the people could fully understand and engage with.

Phukan’s resistance to the use of Bengali as the medium of instruction in Assam’s primary schools was particularly significant. In his seminal work Observations, he argued that primary education should be imparted in the mother tongue. He pointed out that Bengali, being a foreign language in Assam, created significant obstacles in education, as neither the teachers nor the students were proficient in it. The result was a gross misunderstanding of concepts, with students unable to grasp the full meaning of the subjects being taught. Furthermore, Phukan criticized the educational system for using textbooks in Bengali, which were inaccessible to most of Assam’s population.

Anandaram Dhekial Phukan also recognized the importance of using Assamese in courts and administrative matters. He strongly objected to the imposition of Bengali as the court language, emphasizing that it violated the rights of the Assamese people. Phukan believed that the legal and judicial system should be accessible to the common people, and this could only be achieved by using the native language. His fight to restore Assamese as the language of the courts was ultimately successful, marking a significant victory for the Assamese people.

Struggle Against the Imposition of Bengali: The imposition of Bengali in Assam had its roots in colonial administrative policies. British officers, who lacked the initiative to learn Assamese, mistakenly regarded Assamese as a mere dialect of Bengali. This misconception, combined with the shared alphabet of Assamese and Bengali, led to the erroneous belief that the two languages were essentially the same. Bengali was adopted as the official language in Assam’s courts and schools, leading to widespread discontent among the Assamese populace.

Anandaram Dhekial Phukan was at the forefront of the movement to dispel this misconception. He believed that the imposition of Bengali threatened to erase Assamese cultural identity. Phukan meticulously documented the differences between the two languages, proving that Assamese was a distinct language with its own grammar, syntax, and vocabulary. In his work ‘A Few Remarks on the Assamese Language and on Vernacular Education in Assam’, Phukan provided concrete examples to illustrate the linguistic differences between Assamese and Bengali. Through comparative analyses of everyday words, literary passages, and even Sanskrit texts, Phukan demonstrated that Assamese was not a mere variant of Bengali but a unique and independent language.

Phukan’s comparison of Assamese and Bengali went beyond vocabulary. He argued that while Assamese and Bengali shared certain commonalities due to their Sanskritic origins, this did not make them the same language. His meticulous research and clear arguments helped establish Assamese as a language in its own right, distinct from Bengali. This intellectual defence of Assamese laid the foundation for the eventual restoration of Assamese as the official language of Assam.

The Restoration of Assamese as the Court Language: One of Anandaram Dhekial Phukan’s most significant achievements was the restoration of Assamese as the language of the courts. For many years, Bengali had been imposed as the court language in Assam, creating a barrier between the legal system and the Assamese people. Phukan’s tireless efforts to replace Bengali with Assamese culminated in the successful reintroduction of Assamese in Assam’s judicial system.

Phukan argued that the use of Bengali in the courts was not only impractical but also unjust. He pointed out that most Assamese judges and court officials were more comfortable with Assamese than Bengali, and the imposition of Bengali created unnecessary communication gaps. Furthermore, the general populace found it difficult to understand legal proceedings conducted in a foreign language, which undermined their access to justice.

Drawing on the provisions of the Act XXIX of 1837, which had abolished Persian as the court language in Bengal and Hindustan and replaced it with local languages, Phukan argued that the same logic should apply to Assam. If Persian could be replaced by Bengali and Hindustani in other regions, then Bengali could similarly be replaced by Assamese in Assam. Phukan’s arguments were compelling, and after years of advocacy, Assamese was finally restored as the court language in Assam, a victory that was warmly welcomed by the Assamese people.

Philosophical Vision: Language as the Soul of a Nation: Anandaram Dhekial Phukan’s fight for the Assamese language was not just a linguistic battle—it was a philosophical and cultural one. Phukan understood that language was more than just a means of communication; it was the soul of a people, the vessel of their culture, history, and identity. He believed that the survival of Assamese culture depended on the preservation and promotion of the Assamese language. Without a strong linguistic foundation, Phukan argued, the Assamese people would lose their unique identity and be subsumed by larger, more dominant cultures.

Phukan’s philosophical outlook aligned with the ideas of other great thinkers of his time, such as Raja Ram Mohan Roy and Mahatma Gandhi, who also recognized the importance of cultural and linguistic identity in the process of nation-building. Like these luminaries, Phukan believed that true progress could only be achieved through a synthesis of tradition and modernity. While he advocated for the learning of foreign languages like English and Bengali for practical purposes, he insisted that Assamese must remain at the heart of Assam’s educational and administrative systems.

A Lasting Legacy: Anandaram Dhekial Phukan’s life was tragically short, but his legacy endures. His tireless efforts to restore the dignity and prominence of the Assamese language laid the groundwork for future generations of Assamese scholars, writers, and activists. Phukan’s contributions to education, language, and society earned him a place among the greatest figures in Assam’s history.

Through his writings, his advocacy, and his unwavering commitment to the cause of Assamese cultural revival, Phukan gave the people of Assam a renewed sense of pride in their heritage. His work ensured that Assamese would not be relegated to the status of a “mere dialect” but would be recognized as a distinct and vibrant language with its own literature, history, and intellectual traditions.

Anandaram Dhekial Phukan’s life and work remind us of the importance of language in shaping our identity and our future. His vision of an enlightened, educated, and culturally vibrant Assam continues to inspire us today, as we strive to preserve and promote our linguistic and cultural heritage in an increasingly globalized world.