Guwahati, April 9: The Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) has expressed strong displeasure over Assam University’s decision not to declare a holiday for Bohag Bihu, Assam’s most important cultural festival.
In a press statement issued today, AJP President Lurinjyoti Gogoi and General Secretary Jagadish Bhuyan said, “It is unfortunate that Assam University, which was established as an outcome of the Assam Accord, has not declared a holiday for Bohag Bihu. The university’s indifference toward this state festival and emotional identity of Assam is not just shocking, but deeply concerning. As an institution meant to bridge the Barak and Brahmaputra Valleys, the university’s failure to declare a Bihu holiday is an insult to Assamese pride.”
It is noteworthy that the university’s 2025 holiday list, published in December last year, included a one-day holiday for Magh Bihu along with Makar Sankranti and Pongal. However, there is no mention of any holiday for Bohag Bihu in April. Interestingly, April 10 has been declared a holiday for Mahavir Jayanti. Meanwhile, the Assam government has declared holidays from April 14 to 16 for Bohag Bihu across all government offices and educational institutions. Generally, colleges and universities in the state follow the government holiday calendar, but Assam University appears to have ignored Bihu entirely.
In their statement, the AJP leaders added, “The university has declared a holiday on April 14 for Ambedkar Jayanti, which is already a recognized national holiday. But shockingly, no such importance has been given to Assam’s own state festival. This mysterious indifference from the university authorities will weaken efforts to build unity between Barak and Brahmaputra regions.”
The AJP has urged Assam University authorities to immediately declare a holiday on April 14 for Bohag Bihu and called upon them to avoid such divisive and insensitive decisions in the future.
“There are a large number of Assamese-speaking students from the Brahmaputra Valley studying at Assam University. The university must ensure they are allowed to celebrate their cultural identity. Respecting Assam’s state festival will only strengthen the spirit of harmony between the state's diverse regions. Ignoring it, however, could create linguistic alienation. All responsible authorities must be conscious of this,” Gogoi and Bhuyan emphasized.
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