Police arrested four All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) members for painting the signboards in English from the shops at Margherita in upper Assam’s Tinsukia district.

The AASU members also removed English signboards from several shops at Margherita.

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On Sunday, the AASU unit of Margherita took out a drive at Margherita and Ledo against the use of signboards in English.

The AASU members started removing the signboards from the shops.

They painted the signboards in English language black.

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“Why are the shop owners using English signboards in their shops? We asked them to use the Assamese language in their signboards instead of using English or other languages,” said an AASU member.

AASU members removing a signboard. Image credit – Manash Pratim Gogoi
AASU members removing a signboard. Image credit – Manash Pratim Gogoi

He said they have appealed to all to use the Assamese language on the signboards of their establishments.

Assam Official Language Act 1960 mandates the Assamese language as compulsory in the state.

However, the owners of most of the business establishments, factories and shops are yet to use the Assamese language in their billboards, glow signboards and banners, which are either in English, Hindi or Bengali.

 

Avik Chakraborty is Northeast Now Correspondent in Dibrugarh. He can be reached at: [email protected]