Guwahati: In a milestone moment, scholars gathered at Gauhati University on Monday for the launch of two new courses — Tai Ahom language and medieval manuscriptology. The event offered students a chance to explore an ancient world of language, script and memory.
New Courses Under NEP 2020
In line with the National Education Policy 2020, the university has introduced a six-month certificate course in Tai-Ahom language and medieval manuscriptology under the Centre for South East Asian Studies. The course aims to help students go beyond learning a language or studying old manuscripts and connect more deeply with the roots of the Tai Ahom community, whose legacy continues in Southeast Asia.
Preserving Linguistic and Cultural Heritage
The initiative aims to promote the historic Tai Ahom language through academic engagement and to strengthen research, documentation and preservation of the region’s rich linguistic and cultural heritage.
Speaking as the chief guest at the inaugural programme, eminent historian and former Gauhati University professor Padma Shri Jogendra Nath Phukan stressed the strong link between the Tai Ahom language and Assam’s historical identity. “Preserving and studying the language is not merely an academic exercise but a collective responsibility towards safeguarding a valuable civilisational legacy,” he said.
Inaugurating the course, vice-chancellor Prof. Nani Gopal Mahanta said language is the living identity of people. “Language is the soul of people; its rejuvenation marks the resurgence of cultural self-respect. Through the Indigenous Knowledge System (IKS), we must enrich our traditional knowledge through scientific research and creative thinking,” he added.
Prof Mahanta said manuscripts are not just relics of the past, but lasting sources of knowledge that can shape present thinking and future progress.
The programme was attended by registrar Prof. Utpal Sharma, academic registrar Prof. Rajib Handique, Prof. Dhruba Pratim Sharma, noted academician Dayananda Borgohain, Biju Moran, Nityananda Gogoi, along with faculty members, researchers and students.
