DIBRUGARH, April 11 - Noted Assamese litterateur Professor Nagen Saikia has described Sahitya Akademi award winning poet Ajit Barua as the iconic figure who brought tremendous changes that were responsible for modernist trend in Assamese poetry.
Delivering the Second Ajit Barua Memorial Lecture in Dibrugarh University recently, Prof Saikia discussed the varied thematic as well as stylistic features dominant in Ajit Barua�s discourse.
�We have a general tendency to try to evaluate our literature in the light of western doctrine. But it is a wrong notion to analyse or evaluate our literature only with the Western school of thought and Western literary theories�, said the former Asam Sahitya Sabha president.
�We should evaluate our literature with Indian aestheticism and various Indian literary theories. Ajit Barua is the sole literary giant in Assam who was at home with both Western and Indian school of thoughts�, Prof Saikia claimed.
Stating that the poet successfully weaved in his poetry the magical association of reason and emotions, the former Bezbaroa Chair Professor said, �it was because of his unique sensibility that Ajit Barua was capable of weaving romantic with classic sensibility that created wonder in his poetry.�
The Memorial Lecture was organised under joint collaboration of Ajit Barua Anuragi Samaj (ABAS), Guwahati and Dr Bhupen Hazarika Centre for Studies in Performing Arts of Dibrugarh University.
The chairperson of the Dr Bhupen Hazarika Centre for Studies in Performing Arts, Dr Pranjit Bora and the president of the Ajit Barua Anuragi Samaj Rajib Baruah were present on the occasion at the lecture which was chaired by Professor Karabi Deka Hazarika, Dean, School of Humanities and Social Sciences of the University.
The lecture was preceded by recitals of Ajit Barua�s poems in English, Assamese and Mising languages and also rendering of his popular song Aakashar Paar Bhangi Naame by Bhaskar and Parinita from the music section of Dr Bhupen Hazarika Centre for Studies in Performing Arts of the University.
The lecture session was followed by a poets� meet where a number of poets from different parts of the State read out their compositions. � PTI
