The Assam government on Monday proposed to accord Bodo the status of an associate official language of the state. The Bill will allow Bodo language in Devanagari script as an ‘associate official language’ for “all or any of the official purposes” of the state.

On behalf of chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal, Parliamentary affairs minister Chandra Mohan Patowary tabled the bill in the assembly. “The salient feature of the Bill is to substitute the Section 5A of the Assam Official Language Act, 1960, to implement Clause 6.2 of the MoS (memorandum of settlement) signed on 29-01-2020 with Bodo groups.

"Proposed amendment will allow Bodo language in Devanagri script as an associate official language for all or any of the official purposes of the state of Assam," Sonowal said in 'statement of objects & reasons' of the Bill legislation. The bill follow a state cabinet decision in this regard on December 22. Congress legislator Kamalakhya Dey Purkayastha said while he supports the grant of the status to the Bodo language, Bengali should also be accorded similar status.

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