[Assam] Oxom-Assam-Asom Phonetically Speaking

[Rajen Barua]

Guwahati, Thursday, March 9, 2006

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Ahom Sabha opposes State's name change
By A Staff Reporter
 GUWAHATI, March 8 - The State Government's decision on 'Asom' stands revoked in the face of pressure from the people, said the office-bearers of the All Assam Ahom Sabha. Sabha office-bearers including its president Kiron Gogoi, assistant secretary Sunil Gogoi, organising secretary Bireswar Chetia and advisor Dr Ramesh Buragohain, said at a press conference at the Six Mile Joya Nagar Sukapha Bhawan here today that the State Government faulted by not consulting the people while taking the decision.

The issue should have been discussed in detail covering all its aspects. There is also the need to consult historians, linguists and the phoneticians while arriving at a decision on the issue, they claimed.

They demanded from the Chief Minister an explanation as to what was the name of the State prior to 1826. The Chief Minister also owes an explanation as to whom did he consult on transliteration. The Chief Minister should not forget it that changing the name of a State is much bigger an issue. There should have been a 'very big' debate on the issue. But the State Government had unfortunately avoided such a debate. It cannot go for such a decision so hurriedly. The Government's latest decision cannot be the final one on the issue, they claimed.

It needs mention here that the Tai-Ahom organisations have been opposing the decision since it was made public by the Government. The word Assam has a direct connection with the Ahom rulers. There was however, delay in Transcripting the word in to Assamese. There were differences in the spelling too at some stages. But the word was very familiar to the people of the State since the days of the Ahom monarchs.

Even the Moghul writers also used to write 'Asham' to describe the State. The English writers also used the word 'Asham' imitating the Moghul writers. Later on, the word took its present shape of Assam in English.

The French writers also described the State as 'Asem' or 'Azem', while the Italians described it as 'Axeme', said the Sabha office bearers.

They also claimed that the word 'Asam' was also available in the historical records of the Ahom monarchs. For example, they said that the treaty signed by the Ahom royal representative with the Muslim general Mirjumla in 1663 AD at Ghiladhari also referred to the State as 'Asam'. The letter written by Ahom monarch Jayaddhajva Singha to Mughal emperor Aurengjeb also has the word Asam. A copper plate of the Ahom monarch Rajeswar Singha inscribed in 1667 Saka also referred to the State as 'Asam'. Similarly, the copper plates inscribed during the reign of Lakshmi Singha in 1699 Saka and Gaurinath Singha in 1705 Saka also referred to the scripts of the Ahom monarchs as 'Asam' scripts, claimed the Ahom Sabha office-bearers.
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