ABSU urges Education Minister to implement clauses of BTR Accord

TEZPUR: The All Bodo Students' Union (ABSU) has urged State Education Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma to duly implement the Bodo medium issues mentioned in the clause and sub-clauses of the BTR agreement.

In a press note, ABSU president Dipen Boro said that the union leaders had met the minister on Sunday and submitted the points mentioned in the accord as reminder note and discussed in details how to resolve the issue. In the press note, the ABSU president said that according to Clause 6 of the BTR Accord, the Government of Assam would establish a separate Directorate for Bodo medium schools in the State (especially mentioned in clause 6.4), which would be introduced in the ongoing Assembly session with budget allocation.

"According to the Clause 6.3 of the agreement, the Government of Assam will initiate measures to provincialize schools and colleges established in BTAD and Bodo medium schools outside BTAD, as per special need and requirement. The State Government will also take measures to appoint lecturers in Bodo departments in colleges outside BTAD as a special consideration," Dipen Boro said, adding that for provincialization of the Bodo medium institutions from lower primary to postgraduation, looking into the pros and cons and considering the special need and requirement, the Government of Assam under the Education department had assured to implement the clause. He also maintained that as per the clause 6.2, the Government of Assam would notify Bodo language in Devanagri script as an associate official language in the State.

"In this regard, the minister has assured us to write to the departments concerned to solve the long-pending associate official Bodo language implementation issue in the State. On the other hand, for the inclusion of Bodo language paper in the Assam Judicial Service Examination, the minister also assured to pursue the matter through the Chief Justice of Gauhati High Court and implement the same for the benefit of the Bodo medium background students," he said.

Terming the discussion as quite a positive one, Dipen Boro also stated that the matters regarding the recent declaration of the addition of Science stream in the incumbent degree colleges of BTAD districts would be implemented after the Model Code of Conduct for BTC election. "The matters related to the CTET candidates left out in recent appointments and age-related matters will be resolved after consultation in the departments concerned. Regarding the issue related to law colleges in the State, he also assured to take the matter departmentally and take steps to resolve the matter as much as possible. Further, he expressed his willingness to resolve all the Bodo medium education- related matters in the State of Assam. So we are hopeful that all the provisions in the BTR accord will get due attention and will be implemented by the Government of Assam whatever comes under the domain of State," said the ABSU president. Besides Dipen Boro, the ABSU delegation comprised Jayanta Basumatary, vice-president, Lawrence Islary, general secretary and other leaders.

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