ITSSA reiterates demand for development of vernacular medium schools

Seeks protection and preservation of tribal belts and blocks

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: Expressing fear that the decision of the Assam Government to teach Science and Mathematics in English in vernacular medium schools will sound the death knell for such schools, the Indigenous Tribal Sahitya Sabha of Assam (ITSSA) has demanded the government to withdrawal Maths and Science textbooks in English and to take necessary steps to publish and supply textbooks written in vernacular languages.

The ITSSA is a conglomerate body of eight indigenous tribal Sahitya Sabhas – Bodo, Deori, Mising, Karbi, Rabha, Tiwa, Dimasa and Garo Sahitya Sabha. The executive body meeting of ITSSA was held on Sunday where significant decisions were taken. Talking to The Sentinel today, ITSSA secretary general Kamala Kanta Mushahary said that at a time when the NEP-2020 was strongly advocating for imparting education in the mother tongue for building strong cognitive power among children, the Assam Government’s decision to teach Science and Mathematics in English in vernacular medium schools in Class VI was against the interest of the children and also against the sentiments of the people of Assam. Besides the withdrawal of textbooks in English, ITSSA demanded the development of infrastructure of vernacular medium schools and creation of sufficient number of posts of trained teachers in these schools.

Mushahary said, “ITSSA demands that the report of the Justice Biplab Kumar Sharma Commission on Clause 6 of the historic Assam Accord should be executed in letter and spirit soon. We also demand protection and preservation of all tribal belts and blocks in the State by evicting all illegal encroachers as per provisions under Clause 10 of the Assam Accord and the recent order of the Gauhati High Court. The Forest Dwellers’Act, 2006 should also be implemented in letter and spirit by allotting land to the indigenous tribal people of the State.”

ITSSA expressed its resentment over the recent declaration made by the Chief Minister of Assam to grant land rights to Hindu Bengali Scheduled Caste (SC) people within the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) and tribal belts and blocks. “This amounts to an evil design to scrap the land rights of the indigenous tribal people. ITSSA reiterates its demand for immediate sorting of the matter of granting Sixth Schedule status to the Mising, Rabha, Tiwa and Deori Autonomous Councils by the committee under the chairmanship of minister Dr Ranoj Pegu,” said Mushahary.

He further said, “The Assam Government has not fulfilled the demand for early rehabilitation of 96 Garo families of Dekabasti and Paglabasti falling under the Lumding LAC; 51 Bodo families of Datalpara-Nolpara of Guwahati city under West Guwahati LAC; and 40 Bodo families and 25 Mising families of Barbari-Silsaku Hengrabari area under the Dispur LAC. We urge the government for immediate settlement and rehabilitation of these indigenous tribal families on humanitarian grounds.”

ITSSA has also demanded immediate allotment of the plot of land at Chapaidang, Bonda in Guwahati under the Chandrapur Revenue Circle of Kamrup (metro) district. Mushahary said that if the demands were not fulfilled soon, the ITSSA would go to Delhi on July 20 and submit memoranda to the President of India, Prime Minister, Union Home Minister of India, Union Tribal Affairs Minister of India, and Union Education Minister of India listing their charter of demands.

“We welcome the move of the Assam Government to hand over the case of SI Junmoni Rabha to the CBI. We hope that the bereaved family will get justice soon. We also welcome the decision of the Chief Minister to approve fund amounting to Rs 3 crore for publication of the multilingual dictionary of ITSSA under the Bhasa Gaurav Achoni and demand immediate sanction and release of the fund,” said Mushahary.

He added, “ITSSA welcomes the decision for introduction of Bodo language as medium of instruction till Class XII and Santhali language till Class V. We also welcome the Chief Minister’s declaration to introduce Mising, Rabha and Tiwa languages as medium of instruction till Class V. But the fate of Karbi, Deori and Dimasa languages has not been mentioned. ITSSA demands that a similar decision should be taken for introducing Karbi language as medium of instruction till Class VIII, Garo language till Class XII, Mising, Rabha, Tiwa and Deori languages till Class V and Dimasa language as Subject language from primary level and upwards as per provisions of the NEP-2020 from the academic year 2024.”

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