Assam launches 'Bhasha Gaurav Saptah' to celebrate state's linguistic diversity

Guwahati, Nov 3: To celebrate the recent recognition of Assamese as a classical language by the Centre and honour the state’s rich linguistic diversity, the week-long “Bhasha Gaurav Saptah” commenced at Guwahati’s Srimanta Shankardev Kalakshetra on Sunday.

The event was attended by key dignitaries, including Education Minister Ranoj Pegu and Agriculture Minister Atul Bora, who honoured prominent figures associated with Assamese and other regional languages of the state.

During the event, Minister Bora expressed gratitude to those who have dedicated years to researching the Assamese language and contributing towards its rich history.

“The 2000-year-old language has received recognition after Independence under the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government, which previous governments failed to achieve,” he said.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma also took to social media, stating, “This week, people from various linguistic groups will celebrate their languages and commit themselves to preserving them.”

In a related initiative, Panchayat and Rural Development Minister Ranjit Kumar Dass, along with Bhawanipur MLA Phanidhar Talukdar, led a rally in Pathsala town, Bajali district, as part of the “Bhasha Gaurav Saptah”. The rally saw enthusiastic participation from students and residents alike.

Addressing the press, Dass highlighted the importance of keeping the Assamese language alive, urging the community to minimise the use of English words in daily conversations.

“Nowadays, people have started forgetting the basic words of our mother tongue. We are destroying our language by including English words in between the sentences. I would like to request the people of Assam to try to use the Assamese language as much as possible,” he said.

The celebration was initiated following Chief Minister Sarma’s announcement on October 27 during a cabinet meeting, recognising the conferral of “Classical Language” status to Assamese.

The Union Cabinet had officially granted classical language status to Assamese, along with Marathi, Pali, Prakrit, and Bengali, on October 3.

As the week progresses, educational institutions across Assam are encouraged to organise various events to further promote the richness of the state’s linguistic heritage.

“We invite all the citizens of Assam to usher in the celebrations and contribute towards the language’s rich history,” Minister Bora concluded.