Hindi will be used alongside Assamese, English and Bodo from the Budget session beginning July 7, while the Chief Minister clarifies that Bodo’s official status in the Assembly remains unchanged
Guwahati: Hindi will be introduced as an additional official language of the Assam Legislative Assembly from the Budget session beginning Monday, joining Assamese, English and Bodo, Assembly Speaker Ranjeet Kumar Dass announced on Sunday.
Addressing a press conference after the General Purpose Committee meeting, Dass said the decision was taken to include Hindi alongside the existing official languages of the House. He added that Assamese, English and Bodo would continue to be used in Assembly proceedings.
While announcing the move, the Speaker described Hindi as the “Rashtra Bhasha”. However, under the Constitution, India has no national language. Hindi in the Devanagari script and English are recognised as official languages for Union government purposes under the Official Languages Act, 1963. Dass also announced that ALA TV, which broadcasts Assembly proceedings, will be renamed Assam Bidhan Sabha TV.
The announcement sparked speculation that Bodo could lose its official status in the Assembly. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, however, dismissed the claims, stating that there is “no proposal to withdraw the use of the Bodo language from the proceedings or any other official business of the Assembly.”
Calling Bodo an inseparable part of Assam’s cultural heritage, the Chief Minister reaffirmed the government’s commitment to preserving and promoting the language. Bodo, listed in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution, has been an Associate Official Language of the Assam Legislative Assembly since the Assam Official Language (Amendment) Act, 2020.
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