ON
UNIVERSITY MEDIUM IN ASSAM
MEMORANDUM TO THE VICE-CHANCELLOR, GAUHATI
UNIVERSITY
Submitted by the
Central Action Committee, Bodo Sahitya Sabha,
Kokrajhar
3rd
June, 1973
Respected
Sir,
We, the undersigned on behalf of the Central
Action Committee and the Central Executive
Committee of the Bodo Sahitya Sabha and
the Bodo people in general, are extremely
happy and feel fortunate having been able
to meet you and place this Memorandum, for
the first time, depicting higher educational
problems of the Bodos in general and their
view-points regarding College and University
medium in the State of Assam.
We are aware of the facts that our state
of Assam has been facing many difficult
problems-academic, economic and cultural,
and some of them have been solved and some
are yet to be solved and the same shall
have to be solved one by one with a joint
effort of all communities living in the
state.
1.
University Medium Agitation of 1972 in Assam
: The View-
Points of the Bodos
Last year(1972), the University Medium Issue
has created a serious repercussion throughout
the state of Assam and threatened the very
unity of the state. This University medium
issue is still not solved fully. In particular,
the Bodo people are seriously affected by
this medium issue just at the time when
they are advancing towards higher education.
In view of the gravity of the issue the
Bodo people are also seriously concerned
to this matter and therefore, they have
expressed their own views through different
representations in many occasions. For example,
the Bodo Sahitya Sabha has already submitted
separate memoranda demanding for retention
of English medium in Assam Universities,
to the Prime Minister of India at Shillong
on 8th November'72, the Governor of Assam
at Shillong on 9th November'72, and Chief
Minister of Assam at Shillong on 9th November'72.
Besides, the Bodo Sahitya Sabha has already
launched a mass Satyagraha, demanding for
retention of English medium in Assam universities
along with other academic and literary demands,
before the Assam Legislative Assembly at
Gauhati during its session on 22nd March'73
and before the offices of the Deputy Commissioners,
the Sub-Divisional Officers and the School
Inspectors and D.Is. at Kokrajhar, Goalpara,
Barpeta, Nalbari, Rangiya, Tezpur and North-Lakhimpur
on 26th March'73 and several thousands of
Bodo Satyagrahis were courted arrest. This
Satyagraha Movement has now temporarily
been suspended and the movement may be started
again at any moment if and when it demands.
Moreover, last year (1972) All Bodo Students'
Union had launched an agitation against
the decision of the Governing Body of the
Kokrajhar College in making Assamese as
the sole medium of instructions therein
and filed a case in the Supreme Court to
retain English Medium in the college and
as a result, the Supreme Court has issued
a stay-order to the college to retain English
Medium therein. These are the sufficient
instances of the desire and aspiration of
the Bodos that their demand for retention
of English Medium in colleges and universities
is genuine.
We are, therefore, now approaching you to
place the view-points and demands of the
Bodo Sahitya Sabha and the Bodo people in
general in connection with the problems
of higher education and college and university
medium before you for favour of your kind
consideration to safe-guard the higher educational
interest of the Bodos, as stated in this
memorandum.
2.
University Medium: The Bodos Stand for English
We, the Bodo people believe that University
is a temple of higher learning; it is a
treasury of all-best knowledge of the world;
and therefore, it is a world of learning.
The heart of a University is teaching of
the bests, study of the bests and research
for the bests. Therefore, the main purpose
of a University is to produce a band of
best academicians and experts in different
branches of learning, so that they may work
for peace and prosperity of the nation and
the mankind as a whole.
Further, we believe that India is a multi-lingual,
multi-racial and multi-cultural republic.
Even the units or the states of this republic
are not uni-lingual, uni-racial and uni-cultural.
It is due to freedom of inter-states movement,
residence, businesses and occupation of
the citizens of the republic. India has
many schools and colleges of different media.
The products of these institutions of different
media generally meet together and receive
higher and best education in Universities.
Hence, in India, University is a republic
of learning, schools and colleges, being
its parts or units. A University of higher
learning in Arts, Science, Technology and
Mechanics, must never lose and full and
constant contact between its parts.
As University is a republic of learning
and therefore, it is a unifying force in
India. The Universities of India must serve
the National purpose. They must expand;
to an increasing extend the administrative
and professional cadres, in the civil service,
in medicine, in law and increasingly in
business, in the scientific background and
expertise, the teachings in the schools
and colleges, the research in pure learning
and the cultural force of a national society.
Therefore, so far the medium of instruction
in higher education, specially in University
education, is concerned, we strongly feel
convinced that this vital matter involves
not only the original interest, but more
particularly the national interest and out-look.
Though the educationists insist upon the
medium of instruction in mother-tongue and
regional languages at school, college and
University levels, the Bodo Sahitya Sabha
and the Bodo people in general, strongly
consider that the language which is the
Official Language or the Federal Language
of the Union Government should preferably
be the medium of instruction in higher education
too. Because, it involves integrity of the
country and unity of the nation, as it maintains
higher academic standard which is used in
national services, and intellectual and
inter-state communication. Also it facilitates
the students in acquiring knowledge in technology,
mechanics, medicine, law, commerce and other
higher scientific studies. Besides, it helps
in bringing a better mutual understandings
amongst the citizens of the country, it
being the common medium communication. It
also greatly help inter-state movement,
transfer and exchange of studies, teachers,
scholars and employees within the country.
Moreover, as University is a unifying force
in a country, the medium of instruction
or lingua-franca in a University should
preferably be the national or the official
language of the country. Because, the National
or Federal Language is a unifying language
of a nation.
The Constitution and the Official Language
Act of India, so far amended and enacted
have recommended and adopted 2 (two) languages,
namely, Hindi and English, as the Official
Language of the Union for the use of media
of inter-state communication, intellectual
communication and all India services. Further,
the Acts so far enacted and amended have
recommended to switch over English, which
is still fulfilling the above conditions,
to Hindi.
But in the case of the Bodos who live in
a non-Hindi speaking state, it will take
sufficient time to make themselves well
conversant in Hindi. Moreover, since Hindi
is yet to attain its due position as a National
or Federal Language, English shall have
to be continued as a medium of instruction
in higher education. Besides, it is known
to all that, except Hindi, no other regional
language of India has attained its due position
as a medium of competition for all India
services in Govt. and non-govt. offices
and also in commercial establishments. English
is still a medium of instruction in many
Universities of our country, medium of all
India services, medium of inter-states communication,
intellectual communication and commercial
communication and after all, the official
language of the Union and the associated
official language of all the states of the
Union.
Under such circumstances, we have no alternative
but to continue our higher education in
English medium in colleges and Universities
of Assam. English will help the Bodos in
linking themselves on National and International
levels.
Moreover, the strategic position of the
North-Eastern Region of the country, as
we consider it, the switch over of English
either from official level or medium of
instructions in higher education would seriously
hamper the interest in all spheres of development
and progress of the region concerned. It
may not be a wise step to abolish English
medium from higher education so soon and
so haphazardly on the ground of a mere Foreign
Language. English Language is no longer
a Foreign Language now in India; English
dresses, manners and etiquettes are no longer
foreign to us. They are already mixed up
and wedded to our Indian culture and ways
of life. We are firmly convinced that (1)
English is a mother-tongue of lakhs of Indian
population, particularly, of the Anglo-Indians
who are also real Indians having Indian
Citizenship; and (2) It is a much written
language throughout our country. English,
being the International and commercial language
as well as the link language of intellectuals,
has a strong footing in India. Therefore,
we may legitimately claim for retention
of English as one of the media of instruction
in the colleges and Universities of Assam.
Respected
Sir,
We, the Bodos demand for retention of English
medium in higher education, considering
"the requirement of academic excellence,
inter-University exchanges and the development
of the link language so that the essential
needs of the students do not suffer, they
have fullest possible opportunities, the
temples of learning do not become isolated
and their products do not miss the communication
link to ensure that unity and integrity
of the country and the growth and progress
of the nation as a whole."
3.
The Demand of other organizations of the
state for retention
of English Medium in Assam Universities
We, the Bodos are not alone and isolated
in demanding English to be retained as one
of the media of instruction in Assam Universities.
There are many organizations which are also
demanding for retention of English Medium
in Assam Universities. Some of them are
mentioned below for kind your information
and perusal:
|
