The Bodo language, pronounced as
Bo-Ro, a major language of the Bodo group, comes under the Assam-Burmese
group of language. It is said to have branched off from the
Tibeto-Burman family of languages and is spoken by the denizens of the
north-eastern state of Assam. Infact, the Bodo language happens to be
amongst the official languages here and is one of the 22 scheduled
languages provided a special constitutional status in India.
A highpoint in the history of the Bodo language is the socio-political
movement that was launched by local Boro organizations, from 1913
onwards. It was due to their relentless effort that this language was
finally introduced as the medium of instruction in the primary schools
in Bodo dominated areas in 1963. In present times, the language also
serves as a medium of instruction up to the secondary level in
educational institutions. Recently, it was included as a part of the
post graduate course in the University of Guwahati.
The Bodo language boats of a rich literature, comprising of numerous
famous books on poetry, drama, short story, novel, biography,
travelogue, children's literature, etc. The last couple of decades have
been especially beneficial for the evolution of Bodo literature as its
development received its due attention from all corners. The Devanagri
script is officially used to write the Bodo language, although it also
has a long history of using the Roman script. Many Bodo intellectuals
suggests that this language originally used the Deodhai script, which is
now lost.
A pioneering effort in preserving and popularizing the Bodo literature
is being played by Asam Sahitya Sabha, the biggest literary body in
Eastern India. Infact, this organization has been playing a crucial role
in coordinating efforts of the Bodo poets, scholars and authors, by
introducing the local people to their works. They hold a congregation
every year, which is attended by numerous big and small literary people
from far and near. Another unit working for the betterment of the Bodo
literature and people is the Bodo Sahitya Sabha.