Guwahati, Aug 17: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, on Monday, urged people residing in the Brahmaputra Valley, including those who have settled in the state from other parts of the country, to register Assamese as their mother tongue in the ongoing Houselisting Operations and Housing Census, part of the Census 2027 exercise.<\/p>\n
Speaking to the press at Lok Sewa Bhawan in Guwahati, Sarma said he had made the appeal on August 15, particularly to people who had moved to Assam from other states and had lived in the state for decades.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe upcoming Census 2027 has provided an opportunity to these people to blend with Assam\u2019s identity,\u201d he said, clarifying that the appeal excluded residents of the Barak Valley and indigenous communities.<\/p>\n
Sarma also described Assamese as a \u201clink language\u201d connecting different indigenous communities across the state.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf I speak with a Boro, Mising or Rabha person, I will speak in Assamese. So I am not worried about the future of the Assamese language or that someone will blackmail us regarding the language. But this Census has created an opportunity to build a new, broader collective,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The Chief Minister said the appeal is particularly relevant to parts of Lower Assam, where people from different linguistic backgrounds have settled over the years.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is basically for Lower Assam. Every district does not need it. There is no reason to bring such a law in Jorhat because everyone there is Assamese,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
He said the government would focus on selected revenue circles in Lower Assam, particularly in Dhubri, Barpeta and Goalpara.<\/p>\n
Sarma also linked the exercise to the need to protect land in vulnerable areas. \u201cThe amount of land that is there needs to be protected,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The Chief Minister stressed that registering Assamese as one\u2019s mother tongue would be entirely voluntary.<\/p>\n
\u201cI urge people to do this, and BJP MLAs will also work in their respective constituencies during the census to create awareness among people. But this will be a voluntary exercise. It will be a humble exercise,\u201d Sarma said.<\/p>\n