GUWAHATI, Oct 9 � Litterateur and former president of Asam Sahitya Sabha Dr Laksmi Nandan Bora today stressed the need for quality translation works for expanding the expressive power of Assamese literature.
Dr Bora, who was addressing as chief guest of the Amulya Chakravarty Anubad Bota (Translation Award) presentation function at the Veterinary College auditorium at Khanapara, said that translation in order to be meaningful and enduring had to be more than mere conversion of words from one language into another.
Author and translator Dr Prafulla Kataki was formally presented with the award as recognition of his immense contribution in the field of translation. He has to his credit over 40 translated works including many classics.
�Translation entails a lot of hard work from the translator, as the translator has to capture and retain the essence of the original�it is both science and arts at the same time,� Dr Bora said.
Regretting that Assamese literature did not boast of substantial translation works, Dr Bora said that many of the regional languages such as Bengali enjoyed an enviable repertoire of translated works from English and other languages.
Recollecting his association with the late Amulya Kumar Chakravarty whom he described as a translator par excellence, Dr Bora said that Chakravarty had enriched Assamese literature through his translation of epics such as Iliad, Odyssey, and Aeneid.
Accepting the award, Dr Kataki said that translation enhanced the identity of a particular language. �It has a critical perspective as well because it often throws light on new aspects of a work once it is translated,� he said, adding that such aspects were significant from the academic point of view.
Regretting that there was not enough appreciation of quality books� both in Assamese and in English authored by Assamese writers� Dr Kataki attributed it to the lack of interest among the readers to know the high-quality books by emerging Assamese writers in recent times.
�We need to identify, adore and assess the quality literature that is emerging in Assam in recent years. Unfortunately we are not doing that,� he added.
Dr Kataki was also critical of what he said was an unhealthy trend among a section of emerging writers who cared little for grammar and dictionary. �It is wrong to play with and trivialize a language by undermining the sanctity of grammar and dictionary,� he said.
Brihattar Panjabari Sahitya Sabha and the Amulya Chakravarty Memorial Trust organized the function. This was the fifth award in the memory of the late Chakravarty.
Litterateur Eli Ahmed, who was the distinguished guest on the occasion, and senior journalist DN Chakravartty and writer Tabiul Hussain also addressed the gathering.
Mahendra Nath Bora, president of Brihattar Panjabari Sahitya Sabha, moderated the session.
