Assamese Crusaders Without a Cause

Sidharth Bedi Varma | May 16, 2020 10:37 hrs

As the world battles the deadly Coronavirus, I’m writing this piece to bring things a little closer to home – to talk about another virus, of sorts.

The language crisis of the Assamese people continues to plague us all. This of course pops out every time there are video news reports being done for our readers, in English. As an English news brand, I am often surprised that people expect reportage in Assamese. It is like scanning The Assam Tribune looking for Assamese news - oddly funny.

However, there are often a set of people who enjoy scratching this itch. “Why is the reporter not speaking in Assamese? Is the reporter ashamed of being Assamese? Why live here if you can’t speak Assamese?” or certain other remarks which are pretty irrelevant.

Yes, it is possible that an individual staying here (by here I mean Guwahati or Assam) would be unable to speak fluent Assamese for several reasons I might add – Birthplace, family/lineage, type-of-profession or hundreds of other reasons. The point still being – speaking Assamese is not mandated and should not be expected either.

There’s a quote I often hear: “Morning shows the day;” if interpreted in this context, it becomes evident that a certain section seems to rile up the audience by leaving such comments and as Michael Caine’s Alfred says, “Some men just want to watch the world burn.”

Writing “Joi Aai Axom” after a powerful statement in support of my state does not make me love it more. It is our actions, our profession and our contributions to the state/city that matter. This fellow who would rile up the crowd would also spit guthka on his very motherland. Where does your love go then, buddy?

The Assamese diction in itself is so evolutionary that it changes from city to city.  And it is unfortunate that a set of its users haven’t evolved.

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