All Assam Students’ Union in Sonitpur stages 13-hour hunger strike

Tezpur: Members of All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) in Sonitpur chapter staged a 13-hour long hunger strike from 5 am to 6 pm in protest against the State government’s decision to teach science and maths in English in state-run schools from Class 6 onwards. The protesters alleged that the government’s decision is detrimental to the growth of Assamese, Bodo and other local languages.

Talking to the media, Abhijit Nath and Arup Talukdar, president and secretary of Sonitpur district AASU said, “We vehemently protest against the Assam government’s decision. In the midst of internal conflicts within schools and colleges, urgent resolution is needed. Rather than diverting the attention to making mother tongue language the medium of instruction, the government should promptly address issues like teacher shortages in schools. We urge the government not to compromise on its language policy. This protest will continue until the government revokes this decision.” They further added that AASU members are staging hunger strikes across the state to protest against the illogical and short-sighted decision of the State government. Introducing English as a medium of instruction will endanger vernacular-medium schools. We have been opposing this decision since its announcement last year. The government is blatantly disregarding the National Education Policy, which emphasizes the promotion of local languages.

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