PADMANATH KSHETRA (N Lakhimpur), Feb 9 ? Asam Sahitya Sabha president Homen Borgohain today gave a clarion call to continue with the process of building a greater Assamese nationality basing on the principle of a liberal humanism. Borgohain, while hoisting the Sabha flag to mark the beginning of the 67th session of the apex body of the State?s litterateurs here this morning, said that the Assamese litterateurs should take the pledge to expand their society by embracing others, paying respect to the languages and literatures of all ethnic groups of the State and attracting all the people living in the State towards Assamese language and literature by creating great literary works and building an enviable store of knowledge in Assamese language.
Following the flag hoisting ceremony, the Smriti Tarpan was held to pay homage to the memory of martyrs of the freedom struggle and to the pioneers of the Sabha. Noted freedom fighter and Satradhikar of the Gharmara Satra Dayakrishan Goswami led the smriti tarpan. Despite implement weather and a muddy ground, several thousands of people attended the functions at the Padmanath Kshetra, where the uruli?s of the aayati?s and the sounds of the daba and the conch created an environment of consecration and festivity.
Borgohain also inaugurated the book fair at the Padmanath Kshetra and made an appeal to the people of encourage the writers by buying their books. For, he said, since the invention of letters and their application in documenting human thoughts books had been an inseparable part of literature.
Meanwhile, Dr Jagadish Patgiri has been elected general secretary of the Sabha. Talking to newsmen here this morning, Dr Patgiri, a lecturer of Cotton College, said that he had plans to involve the young writers more and more in Sabha activities. Involvement of the young generation will help the Sabha gather more strength, he said.
Besides, he has also plans to involve the Sabha in preparing a history of the culture of the State?s peoples and to set up an international literary mission of the Sabha in line with the idea propounded by Rupkonwar Jyoti Prasad Agarwalla, said Dr Patgiri.
Souvenir released
From Dibyajyoti Phukan
NORTH LAKHIMPUR, Feb 9 ? Tabu Taid, former Director of Higher Education, Assam today released the souvenir named ?Subansiri? published by the reception committee, 67th session of Asam Sahitya Sabha at Padmanath Khetra in Gariajan here today. The souvenir was edited jointly by Deepanjali Dutta and Dr Hemanta Kr Baruah, both principals of Lakhimpur Girls? College and Lakhimpur Commerce College respectively.
Speaking on the occasion Taid said that nowadays ?Tatsam? words i.e. words of Sanskrit origin are more used in Assamese literature and such words are found to dominate the language of the elite section in preference of ?Tad Bhava?. Although Sanskrit is the mother language of Assamese language, yet ?Tad Bhava? words i.e. words emanating from Assam?s society are more meaningful and easily understood by the people, he added and stressed on use of such words. He referred of Bacon who said some books are to be tested, some are to be swallowed and some others to be chewed and digested.
Taid, who hails from the bank of Subansiri river, said that publication of a book is a noble work, but its worth and greatness are to be valued more. In this context he noted that an English poet becomes famous composing one poem only. He said the Sahitya Sabha has opened a new chapter by publishing books on folk items of the different ethnic groups. Taid opined that the Assamese Viswakosh is a historic event in the development of Assamese language and literature and this great work became possible only for the firm determination of Sabha president Homen Borgohain. Taid added that it is a great example for inspiration of the new generation.
Despite the muddy weather, thousands thronged the book fair today. Meanwhile, Oriontologist Chandra Dhar Tripathy inaugurated the exhibition at Panindra Khetra, about 7 km from the town here. The umbrella with muga cloth and the fine muga products, machine for making ropes including dress materials and bringing out fibres from coconut manually operated timber sawing machines etc exhibited by the craftsman from interior areas of the State in the stall of National Invention Foundation, products of Mising and other weavers, brass and belmetal products like pot to prepare cakes in steam were found to have attracted large number of visitors.