Breaking the Silence: Linguistic Barriers and Social Behaviour in Assam

Chandasmita Kashyap

Assam is a state with a diverse population. As you enter a Guwahati market, you may hear Bengali being spoken in one corner, Assamese in another, and Hindi being spoken by a group of students nearby. 

As you venture deeper into the villages, you will hear a variety of tribal languages, including Karbi, Mising, and Bodo. 

Although Assam’s cultural diversity contributes to its richness, it also raises the important question of what happens when people are unable to communicate with one another.

This question is more significant than it may appear in daily life. Language is more than just words; it also influences identity, behaviour, and interpersonal relationships. When it turns into a barrier, social tensions can increase, opportunities can decrease, and relationships can become chilly.

Assam has long been a place where cultures come together. Various linguistic communities have called Assam home since the Ahom era, colonial times, and later migration from Bengal and other states. Assamese is still the most commonly spoken language, but many people also speak Bengali, Hindi, and other tribal languages, according to the Census. While a Bodo student in Kokrajhar may speak Assamese, Hindi, and English fluently, an Assamese shopkeeper in Silchar is likely to speak Bengali.

Although this multilingual reality is intriguing, there are drawbacks as well. For some people, switching languages comes naturally, but for others, it becomes difficult and has an impact on their behaviour and confidence.

Language and identity are closely related in Assam. The language is a source of pride for Assamese speakers. It gives a Bengali family in Barak Valley a link to generations of history. Tribal and Bodo communities view their languages as markers of identity and survival.

However, this attachment also establishes imperceptible limits. Individuals frequently favor interacting with members of their own linguistic communities. Such behaviour contributes to divisions over time. The comfort of familiar words may make a young Assamese student reluctant to make friends with a classmate who speaks Bengali, not because they dislike the person. A migrant worker who speaks Hindi may shy away from social situations outside of his community out of embarrassment or rejection.

These obstacles manifest in minor yet noteworthy ways. It could be difficult for a Bihar rickshaw puller to ask for directions in Assamese. In a government office, a tribal woman may not comprehend instructions given in English or Assamese. Rural students who are accustomed to speaking in their mother tongue at home frequently struggle to adapt to schools where the medium of instruction is different.

Language can affect opportunities even in professional settings. In customer-facing positions, job seekers who are not fluent in Assamese may encounter difficulties. However, people who are uncomfortable speaking Hindi or English might feel excluded from larger networks.

People behave differently when they are unable to freely communicate. They might isolate themselves, stay in their group, or avoid social situations. However, multilingual people tend to come across as more self-assured and gregarious, easily bridging social circles.

Political behaviour is also influenced by linguistic barriers. Because people in Assam attach such a high value to their mother tongue, language discussions have occasionally devolved into agitations and movements. Communities’ perceptions of one another are influenced by these movements, sometimes with suspicion and other times with solidarity.

Assam has tales of adaptability and resiliency despite the difficulties. Learning more than one language is something that many young people are actively pursuing. Parents encourage their kids to speak Hindi, English, and Assamese because they think it will improve their chances. To make sure that no child feels left behind, teachers in some schools speak a variety of languages.

Festivals of various cultures frequently act as bridges. Similar to how a Bengali theatre production can draw an Assamese audience, a Bihu song may be appreciated by non-Assamese speakers. These days, social media, movies, and music are reaching a wider audience across communities, which helps to dissolve linguistic barriers.

Beyond the boundaries of words

Replacing one language with another is not the solution to linguistic barriers. It’s about fostering respect and empathy. Trust can occasionally be developed by making even a tiny effort, such as saying hello in their native tongue or listening to them patiently when they are having difficulties.

You frequently hear tales of friendships that cross linguistic boundaries in the towns and villages of Assam. Stories of an Assamese family celebrating Eid with a Muslim neighbor who speaks Sylheti, a Bengali shopkeeper assisting an Assamese customer, or a Bodo teacher assisting a student who speaks Hindi serve as a reminder that language should unite rather than divide.

The diversity of Assam is both a strength and a challenge. It is impossible to overlook how linguistic barriers influence social behavior. They are not unbreakable, though. The secret is to be open, to choose to comprehend instead of to exclude.

People in Assam embrace one another’s identities when they accept one another’s languages, even in tiny ways. By doing this, they dismantle the silence that barriers produce and establish a society in which all opinions are valued.

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