NEW DELHI, Oct 31 ? Eminent litterateur and Jnanpith Award winner, Dr Mamoni Raisom Goswami has taken umbrage to Assam Governor, Lt Gen (Retd) Ajai Singh?s language describing his utterances as unbecoming of a Governor. The author?s reaction came after Governor Singh yesterday described her as ?a writer? whom the ULFA has contacted in Guwahati.
?No ULFA cadre contacted me. I came to know through the media that they have contacted a writer in Guwahati ... But ULFA should take initiative to approach the authorities which is the Assam Government,? he told reporters at Shillong on the sidelines of a golf tournament.
?I am a prominent Assamese writer and Jnanpith Awardee and head of Department of Assamese Language. As a Governor of the State he should at least know its eminent personalities. As a Governor he is expected to follow certain decorum,? Dr Goswami told this newspaper.
A deeply-hurt Dr Goswami called up this correspondent this morning to convey her feelings saying that she objects to the term used by the Governor to describe her and has taken strong note of his language.
The unwanted episode could not have come at a worse time for Assam Government, which is desperately trying to woo the ULFA to the negotiating table. Chief Minister, Tarun Gogoi is in fact camping in the capital trying to line up an appointment between Prime Minister and Dr Goswami to prepare the ground for negotiations. Dr Goswami herself is waiting for a nod from the PMO ready with an appeal drafted on the lines proposed by commander-in-chief Paresh Baruah.