Assam proposes Manipuri as associate official language in four districts

Guwahati: The Assam government has introduced a proposal to recognize Manipuri as an Associate Official Language in four districts of the state, including three in the Barak Valley and Hojai in central Assam.

The Assam Official Language (Amendment) Bill, 2024, was presented in the state assembly on Thursday by Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pijush Hazarika, on behalf of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who also oversees the Home and Political Department.

Chief Minister Sarma, in the Statement of Objects and Reasons accompanying the bill, emphasized the significant presence of Manipuri-speaking communities in these regions.

He noted that there has been a longstanding demand from these communities for the official recognition of their language.

"The amendment aims to allow the use of Manipuri as an Associate Official Language for specified official purposes in the districts of Cachar, Karimganj, Hailakandi, and Hojai," Sarma stated.

The bill proposes the addition of a new Section 5B to the Assam Official Language Act, 1960, to formalize this recognition.