Guwahati: Selected schools in Assam will start offering primary education in tribal languages from the upcoming academic session, as announced by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma during the ceremonial conferment of literary pension for 2023 to 23 litterateurs.
“In line with the National Education Policy 2020, from the coming academic session, primary education through the medium of a few tribal languages in select schools shall be introduced, keeping in mind a three-year roadmap ahead,” Sarma said.
The Assam government had started the tradition of conferring literary pensions in the year 2021, marking the birth anniversary of late Homen Borgohain, a doyen of Assamese literature.
The litterateurs who were conferred with literary pension this year are: Sitaram Basumatary (Baksa), Jaya Deb (Cachar), Champa Lal Sinha (Cachar), Bagen Gogoi (Dhemaji), Anupama Naiding (Dima Hasao), Paritosh Chakkravorty (Goalpara), Molina Rabha (Goalpara), Malini (Jorhat), Seniram Gogoi (Golaghat), Jhoola Sarma (Golaghat), Ankon Chandra Saikia (Jorhat), Binanda Sarmah Pujari (Jorhat), Rajlakshmi Khound (Kamrup Metropolitan), Anil Kumar Boruah (Kamrup Metropolitan), Nandita Devi (Kamrup Metropolitan), Jayanta Madhab Bora (Kamrup Metropolitan), Renuka Biswas (Kamrup Metropolitan), Pratima Nandi Narzaree (Kokrajhar), Bijoy Rabi Das (Sivasagar), Dilip Kumar Baruah (Sonitpur), Gyan Bahadur Chetri (Sonitpur), Sumitra Goswami (Kamrup Metropolitan), and Mohan Sonowal (Dibrugarh).
Referring to the tribal communities as integral and inseparable parts of the greater Assamese society, the chief minister said the list of litterateurs selected for this year’s literary pensions also includes writers and authors who write in tribal languages. “Literary figures from Barak Valley too figure on this year’s list,” he added.
“As a mark of recognition towards Homen Borgohain’s contributions towards Assamese literature and the impact of his thoughtful thinking on the state’s socio-economic and intellectual sphere, the state government started the tradition of conferring literary pensions on this great litterateur’s birth anniversary after the latter’s death in the year 2021,” Sarma said.
Speaking on the steps taken to enrich the literary sphere in the state, the chief minister said the Assam Prakashan Parishad has been organising book fairs across the state with the aim of ushering in a book-reading movement among the people.
While referring to the standard of Assamese literary works such as novels and proses to be on a par with their counterparts from the rest of the country, Sarma said sincere attempts were being made to take the great Assamese literary works outside the perimeters of Assam.
Dear Reader,
Every day, our team at EastMojo travels through rain, rough roads, and remote hills to bring you stories that matter – stories from your town, your people, your Northeast.
We do this because we believe in truthful, independent journalism. No big corporate backing, no government pressure – just honest reporting by local journalists who live and breathe the same air you do.
But to keep doing this work, we need you. Your small contribution helps us pay our reporters fairly, reach places others ignore, and keep asking the tough questions.
If you believe the Northeast deserves its own fearless voice, stand with us.
Support independent journalism. Be a Member.
Thank you,
Karma Paljor
Editor-in-Chief, eastmojo.com
He further appealed to the Assam Prakashan Parishad to annually translate at least 10 books in Assamese language to other major languages of the country so that avid readers of literature from outside the state could make themselves familiar with some of the finest literary creations.
Terming Homen Borgohain as one of the finest Assamese litterateurs next only to Sahityarathi Lakshminath Bezbarua, the chief minister said that Borgohain, in his roles as a litterateur and a journalist, made a deep positive impact on the state and its people. “His prose writing skills left an indelible mark on the readers,” he remarked.
The literary pension conferment ceremony was also attended by state education minister Ranoj Pegu; public health engineering minister Jayanta Mallabaruah, along with a host of dignitaries.
Also Read | Cooking gas crisis to hit 4 NE states as transporters go on strike