ABSU Demands Bodo Language Inclusion in BTC Voter List and Judicial Exams

The All Bodo Students’ Union (ABSU) has submitted a memorandum to the Chief Electoral Officer of Assam and the Registrar of the Gauhati High Court, demanding the inclusion of the Bodo language in official processes, including electoral documentation and judicial service examinations. The memorandum was submitted through the Kokrajhar Deputy Commissioner on Monday.

Expressing deep dissatisfaction over the continued neglect of the Bodo language, ABSU stated that despite being recognized as an associate official language of Assam and listed in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution, Bodo continues to face institutional discrimination and exclusion.

Speaking to the media, ABSU President Dipen Boro said that the final voter list for the upcoming Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) elections, scheduled for September 2025 across 40 constituencies, must be published in the Bodo language alongside other official languages. He also demanded that the Bodo language be used in the Assam Judicial Service Grade III examination question papers.

The student body pointed out that although thousands of aspirants from Bodo-medium educational backgrounds appear for these competitive examinations, the absence of Bodo-language question papers severely hampers their chances. Boro specifically demanded that the 50-mark question paper in the Judicial Service Examination, currently available only in Assamese, be printed in Bodo as well.

In addition, ABSU called for the 20-mark question paper for the recruitment of Junior Administrative Assistants in the district courts—conducted under the supervision of the Gauhati High Court—to also be made available in Bodo.

“The exclusion of the Bodo language from such key examinations is a violation of linguistic rights. Candidates educated in Bodo are being systematically denied equal opportunity,” said Boro.

ABSU’s memorandum also reiterated the long-standing demand to extend the status of an associate official language to Bodo in all Bodo-dominated districts of Assam, not just within the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR). The union urged the Assam Government and Gauhati High Court to take practical steps to promote the language’s use in administration and judiciary across the state.

Despite years of appeals and assurances, ABSU noted that neither the Assam Government nor the High Court has taken concrete action to implement Bodo language provisions in state-level examinations or official functions.

As a mark of protest, ABSU has announced it will stage symbolic demonstrations across various districts on July 17 by burning copies of the Assam Judicial Service recruitment advertisement. This, the union says, will be a direct protest against the "deliberate exclusion" of the Bodo language and the indifference shown by state authorities.

“We are not demanding privilege, we are asking for what is rightfully ours,” Dipen Boro said.
“It is deeply disappointing that even after constitutional recognition, Bodo speakers are still treated as second-class citizens when it comes to access to opportunities in governance and the judiciary.”

The student body warned that if corrective measures are not taken, they will be forced to intensify their democratic agitation in the coming months.

Also Read: Pramod Boro, ABSU Leaders Meet Amit Shah in Delhi; Push for Key Reforms in BTR