In a landmark development, the state government of Assam on the day of Ali-a:yé Ligang – the biggest festival of the Mising community, announced that the Mising language will be introduced as a medium of instruction in across 200 schools in Mising inhabited 11 districts from April 2025. Five other tribal languages will also be introduced as medium of instruction- Rabha, Tiwa, Karbi, Deori, Dimasa. The month of April marks the beginning of academic session in the lower primary schools and high schools. Starting with the academic year 2025-26, 200 schools have been chosen to implement the three language formula—Mising, Assamese, and English. Furthermore, at the Upper Primary and High School levels, Mising students will have the option to study Mising as an elective subject. Similar initiatives are being developed for Rabha, Tiwa, Deori, Karbi, Dimasa, and Santhal languages as well. On the 1st of April, amidst much fanfare, the textbooks were handed over to the Mising schools. The Education Minister also confirmed it through a public announcement via X (formerly Twitter).
The Mising language is the largest non-scheduled spoken language of Assam with over 6,30,000 speakers. At present, Assamese, Bodos and Bengali languages spoken in Assam are recognized under the Eighth Schedule of Indian Constitution. These three languages are recognized under the Constitution.
It is imperative to mention that the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government of Assam has already rolled out the National Education Policy, 2020 (NEP, 2020, hereafter) in undergraduate courses in the state universities and its affiliated colleges. Students are pursuing UG courses such as Vocational courses, Assamese Literature, English Literature, Economics, Political Science, History, Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, Geography etc. in colleges and universities. The student of undergraduate courses are in the second year or students are in the fourth semester in the colleges and the universities despite challenges. The NEP has envisaged a four-year research degree program with option of entry and exit for students in firs year (Certificate of one year), second year (Diploma if exit in second year) and third year (with Bachelor degree if exit in third year). The students will have the option to re-enter in the courses provided it must within seven consecutive academic years.
In fact, the NEP emphasized that children should be taught in their home or mother tongue in their primary education. Therefore, the step of the government to introduce mother tongue medium schools for tribal languages of Assam at the primary level seems quite a rational policy. The introduction of Mising language in lower primary schools from Class I to Class V in this year is nonetheless historic in history of Mising language and literature. Although Mising language was introduced as “subject language” in Class III and IV in 1986, the policy was facing challenges to survive due to various problems relating to state support and working of language teachers. The Mising language gradually lost the track from lower primary schools.
What does the NEP, 2020 say about mother tongue at primary schools?
The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 of India emphasizes the importance of children learning in their mother tongue, particularly at the primary level. According to the policy, it recommends that the medium of instruction until at least Class 5, and preferably until Class 8 and beyond, should be the home language, mother tongue, or regional language wherever possible. This approach is rooted in the belief that children learn and grasp concepts more effectively when taught in a language they are familiar with, especially in the foundational years.
The NEP 2020 highlights the following key points regarding this:
- It stresses that early education in the mother tongue enhances cognitive development, comprehension, and learning outcomes.
- It encourages a multilingual approach, where children are exposed to their mother tongue alongside other languages, fostering better linguistic and cultural understanding.
- The policy aims to ensure that no child is disadvantaged due to a language barrier, particularly in the formative years of schooling.
- It directs states and educational institutions to make efforts to provide textbooks and teaching materials in local languages and to train teachers to deliver education effectively in these languages (National Education Policy, 2020, Government of India).
This shift is part of a broader goal to make education more inclusive, accessible, and aligned with India’s linguistic diversity, while also preparing students for a multilingual world.
The current step of state government of Assam is a revolutionary comeback in schools with an objective not just for the purpose of preservation and promotion of the struggling Mising and other tribal languages but to transform India into an equitable and vibrant knowledge society by providing high-quality education to all, rooted in Indian ethos and aligned with 21st-century needs, focusing on holistic, flexible, and multidisciplinary learning. The vision of NEP, 2020 is much broader and farsighted. Through the medium of language learned at home and schools, the children will attain a formal education in a grounded manner with an amicable and inquisitive environment. The children will develop a base of learning environment from the lens of mother tongue and the society he or she lives. This would enable a better and positive learning environment and likely to push to develop more interest in going to schools. However, the role of teachers, parents, guardians and society at large too will have to play a vital role as catalysts towards making them efficient human resources for the nation, country and humankind.
Power relations: Is there a need for legislation for securing the tribal languages?
The policies and programs of the government must also be understood in the context of power relations as well. Currently, the nationalist tribal leaders from almost all the tribes—Bodo, Mising, Rabha, Tiwa, Deori, Karbi, Dimasa, Sonowal Kachari etc. – are either an ally of the BJP or have joined the BJP. The introduction of non-8th Schedule tribal language in schools is a longstanding aspiration of the tribal people and their organizations. The previous editions of introducing Tribal languages as one of the subjects were also pushed to dismal death by the earlier governments.The current introduction of the language was notified by the Department of School Education, Government of Assam on February 19, 2025, while a welcome step has to be followed through with various enabling measures. There is an urgent need of adequate number of teachers and enhancing resources including pedagogic training in mother tongue and introduction to Mising script (that has evolved over the years), teaching and learning materials for teachers and students. The government should appoint resource persons to train teachers exclusively for the newly introduced Mising medium schools. Otherwise, the mother tongue medium will remain as top-down approach without realizing the broader vision of NEP, 2020.
There are no new appointments for Mising subject teachers at the selected schools. The government will have to take proactive steps to appoint, train and capacitate the teachers so that they can efficiently teach the students. The State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT), Assam should be entrusted with responsibilities along with the Mising Autonomous Council (MAC). Ranoj Pegu, former Mising nationalist leader, who joined the BJP, is the current education minister under chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, is believed to have played a vital role for pushing the Mising language as medium instruction in response to longstanding demands from Mising Agom Kébang (MAK) — the language and literary organization of the Misings and other Mising organizations. The tenure of the current BJP-led government ends in May 2026. Therefore, it has become crucial for the government to satisfy the nationalist demands as well.
The Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), the regional party formed after the Assam movement, introduced Mising as a subject in primary schools in Mising dominated areas and also appointed Mising language teachers in 1986. This step was taken in response to the long standing demand by the Mising community.. Brindaban Goswami was the education minister at the time of introduction of Mising subject language. Between 1986 and 1994, the government expanded in phased manner from 100 schools to 230 schools as Mising subject language. Equal number of Mising language teachers was also appointed. The successive governments, however, did not continue the process and it remained just a ‘policy. ’However, the appointed Mising language teacher switched to common teachers that could teach all subjects. Without adequate books and proper implementation, the appointed teachers gradually shifted to teaching other subjects.
Thus, a serious inclusion of Mising and other languages as a medium of instruction has to followed up with holistic series of steps and not seen in a piece-meal way.
Cabinet decision versus Legislative law: why is there a need for a tribal language act?
In a linguistically diverse state like Assam, there is a need for laws that deal with tribal languages as well. Assam has tumultuous experience over language issue; there is an insecure environment even among the Assamese nationalists over the Assamese language. In Assam, there is an Official Language Act, 1960 paused by the state assembly. The Assam Official Language Act, 1960, declared Assamese as the official language of the state, with English as an interim official language. The Act was later amended in 1961 to allow the use of Bengali for administrative purposes up to the district level in Barak Valley districts. However, there is no tribal language law who constitute more than 10 per cent of the total population of the state. Bodo was introduced as medium of instruction in lower primary schools in 1963. Except the Bodo language among the tribal languages in Assam, no other tribal language is constitutionally secured. The ideological orientations and political will of leaders impact the development of languages of ethnic minorities. For a secured support, there should be proper legislations regarding the tribal languages, including Mising, in the state assembly of Assam so that it is not affected by regime changes. The introduction of Mising medium school is formulated through a “cabinet decision”. Cabinet decision does not involve debates, discussion or voting in the assembly in comparison to the legislative process faced by a ‘bill’ before becoming a law or an act. Cabinet decision, although provide the basis of executive decision and government policy whereas legislative based laws or acts have broader legal standing and biding on the citizens. There should be a proper tribal language law or act through a legislative process in Assam. Besides, the government should allow the tribal autonomous council to formally use the tribal languages including the Mising language for all official purposes concerned within their jurisdiction. There is a need for safeguard mechanism in the interest of the language. The nationalist organization and the leaders in powers should ponder about it keeping in mind the long-term perspective.
Opinions expressed here are personal.
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