Assam govt mandates Assamese in all official communication

Guwahati: Assam govt made Tuesday the use of Assamese mandatory in all official communication alongside English, while Bengali and Bodo will be used in Barak Valley and the Bodo Autonomous Region respectively.

The directive comes as part of the implementation of Clause VI of the 1985 Assam Accord, aimed at safeguarding the cultural, social, and linguistic identity of the Assamese people. The order is among 52 recommendations submitted by retired Justice Biplab Kumar Sharma commission.

CM Himanta Biswa Sarma announced the move on X, saying the order took effect Tuesday as the state marked the Assamese New Year and celebrated Rongali Bihu.

Under the governor's notification issued via the Assam Official Language Act of 1960, all govt notifications, office memos, acts, rules, regulations, scheme guidelines, and transfer and posting orders will be published in both Assamese and English. Bengali and Bodo will be used similarly in their respective regions along with English.

All central govt documents — including acts, rules, orders, and notifications — will be translated into Assamese, or into Bengali and Bodo wherever applicable, within 30 days of being received by the state department.

Legacy documents such as laws, regulations, and notifications will also be translated into Assamese (Bodo and Bengali, wherever applicable) over the next two years. Language departments of state universities will assist in the process.

In cases involving ambiguity, discrepancies, or legal interpretation, the English version of the documents will be considered authoritative. English will also remain the medium for communication with central govt, other states, and for court-related documents including inquiry reports, para-wise comments, instructions, and affidavits.

"For translation from English into Assamese, Bengali, and Bodo, the Anuvaad Bhashini App will be used. All govt officers have been advised to exercise due discretion and thoroughly review the translated documents to ensure accuracy and correctness," the order says.