Guwahati, March 3: Congress MLA Abdul Khaleque today wrote to Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal against making Sanskrit compulsory in schools and a youth organisation threatened to launch an intense agitation if the government did not withdraw the decision.
Khaleque asked Sonowal to take steps to make Assamese mandatory in all schools in the state rather than Sanskrit. "As a responsible member of the Assembly, I feel that you should rethink how far making Sanskrit compulsory will help the education sector of the state. Instead, I feel that it should have been better if the government increased the number of Sanskrit tols and modernise them," Khaleque said.
The letter came amid growing opposition to the cabinet's decision to make Sanskrit compulsory in government schools till class VIII. The cabinet took the decision at a time various organisations have been demanding that Assamese, being the official language of the state, should be made compulsory in all schools irrespective of private or government.
"You led AASU for a long time. Besides, you have a separate image among the people, majority of who consider you a hero. You must have not forgotten how AASU had struggled to make Assamese the official language and the medium of instruction of the state," Khaleque said.
"We would have saluted you had you made Assamese compulsory in all schools of the state rather than Sanskrit. We hope your government will take strong steps in this regard," the MLA said.
The Tai Ahom Yuva Parishad today said it would launch a statewide "intense agitation" if the state government did not withdraw the decision. "We will carry out demonstrations at the headquarters of all districts," said Dharma Kanta Gogoi, publicity secretary of the union.
"Before taking the decision, the BJP-led government should make Assamese compulsory in all schools, specifically in Barak Valley. The cabinet is controlled by only education minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal. They try to appease the RSS. The BJP claims that learning Sanskrit will help students study medical and engineering courses. Can Sarma prove it?" Gogoi asked.
"Various organisations have been demanding making history and geography subjects compulsory in schools. Instead of responding to that demand, the BJP-led government has made Sanskrit compulsory," Gogoi added.
The organisation also demanded that the government should listen to reports or recommendations of specialists before constructing the big dam at Gerukamukh. It also criticised the government on delay in granting ST status to six communities of the state.
The Assam unit of the CPM also opposed the cabinet's decision. "At a time when the state is suffering from acute shortage of teachers for regional languages, the state is introducing another language. How will they recruit so many Sanskrit teachers?" asked party state secretary Deben Bhattacharya.
"This policy also flouts the NCERT's guideline of three subject formula - one regional language, English and Hindi," Bhattacharya said.
The Muslim Students Union of Assam demanded that Arabic or Urdu language should be equally promoted.
