Jorhat, Feb. 21, 2026 — Marking International Mother Language Day, the Asom Sahitya Sabha on Saturday warned of a steady decline in the use of Assamese in government administration and schools and sounded the alarm over deteriorating primary education across Assam. The Sabha held a discussion at its headquarters, Radhakanta Handique Bhawan in Jorhat, to examine the status of the Assamese language and challenges facing mother-tongue education.
Sabha president Basanta Kumar Goswami said a government decision announced on April 15, 2025, to use Assamese alongside English in offices has largely remained on paper. He argued Assamese should be given primacy rather than parity with English and said the limited measure has not been properly implemented; the Sabha has submitted a memorandum to the government seeking action.
Goswami highlighted that much official correspondence from the Assam Secretariat to district and sub‑divisional offices continues to be issued in English, and raised concerns about a shortage of Assamese‑speaking, computer‑literate staff in government departments. “For example, in the Jorhat Commissioner’s office, there are only four staff members capable of working in Assamese on computers,” he said.
The Sabha urged the state to invest in training and technology so new typists and employees can type and work in Assamese. “We request the government to provide training and infrastructure so that newly recruited typists and employees can type and function in Assamese,” Goswami said.
On education, Goswami said primary schooling in Assam was stronger from the 1960s to the 1990s when emphasis was placed on language, grammar and communication. He added that education has shifted toward job‑oriented outcomes, with English increasingly taught primarily as an employment tool rather than for broader learning.
The Sabha also cited a severe teaching shortage: 2,865 primary schools in Assam are currently operating with only one teacher, a situation worsened by frequent deployment of teachers for non‑academic duties. Participants at the discussion called for firmer policy implementation, expanded teacher recruitment and greater everyday use of Assamese in administration to preserve the language and improve mother‑tongue education.
Original Source: https://assamtribune.com/assam/asom-sahitya-sabha-seeks-primacy-for-assamese-in-governance-on-mother-language-day-1608284
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Publish Date: 2026-02-21 21:51:00
