Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday appealed to the people of Assam who are natives of other states to list ‘Assamese’ as their mother tongue during the Census data collection process.
The chief minister’s appeal comes amid fear of a decline in Assamese speakers in the state as seen in the previous enumeration processes. On the basis of data collected, the future of the country will be planned. “The year 2026 is an important one as the Census process has started.
Sarma said the people of Barak Valley, which has a predominantly Bengali-speaking population, and the tribals can exercise their own discretion while identifying their mother tongue. It is our duty and responsibility to participate and make it successful,” Sarma said while speaking at the 80th Independence Day at Khanapara.
