SIVASAGAR, May 2 - Bhasacharjya and compiler of famous Assamese dictionary Hemkosh, Hemchandra Barua, was remembered on Tuesday by Rongpur Sahitya Sabha on the occasion of his 120th death anniversary. A meeting was organised at the Hemchandra Barua Park here on the occasion.
Dhiren Chandra Bhunya, former president of Rongpur Sahitya Sabah, initiated the lighting of earthen lamps and said that the dictionary compiler collected the colloquial words even from thieves and thugs. �One day, a burglar outside the dictionary compiler�s house stood at midnight in wait for the man to sleep. Seeing the man still busy working, the frustrated burglar spelt out an invective, swore an abusive slang and left. Hemchandra Barua rushed out and shouted at the burglar to repeat the word once more before leaving so that he could add the new slang in his dictionary,� Bhunya said.
Mridusmita Singha, chairperson of Sivasagar Municipality Board, said, �We need more persons like Hemchandra as Assamese language is facing a critical junction again.�
Manoj Borthakur, president of Rongpur Sahitya Sabha, garlanded the bust of the linguist and said, �As an Assamese, we are gone if we forget the sacrifices made by Hemchandra, Padmanath, Laksminath and others of the time.�
The meet was also addressed by Uzzal Thakur, Kalpana Kotoky, Santos Dutta and the members of Amolapatty Yuva Sangha. In Salaguri HS School, the anniversary was organised jointly by Sivasagar Zila Sahitya Sabha and Mukul Sahitya Sabha with a well-attended meeting on Tuesday.
The meeting was addressed by Juga Gogoi, member of central committee of the Asam Sahitya Sabha; Dr Dilip Buragohain and Vinowa Taye, president and secretary of Zila Sahitya Sabha, respectively.