GUWAHATI, Aug 6 � Asam Sahitya Sabha UK (ASSUK) held its 14th annual general meeting and Sahitya Sanskriti Divas on July 21 in St Andrews Hall, Southgate, London, an e-mail received here said.
The programme began with welcome and registration followed by flag hoisting by the president Lahori Barthakur. Anil Barthakur, a retired Assamese medical practitioner and an artiste from Swindon, UK ran a painting and drawing workshop. The theme was on Assam. Children and adults joined the workshop and learnt some professional tricks from the experts. Lahori Barthakur welcomed the delegates and said ASSUK stands under the banner of Asam Sahitya Sabha of Assam and is also a registered charity in this country. It is a social platform for the people originating from Assam and the North East. She appealed to all distinguished guests and other organisations in this country for help and support to make ASSUK to be a strong and honest organisation in the future.
There was a condolence meeting to pray for the peaceful rest of souls of eminent poet Hiren Bhattacharjya and a young British Assamese, Alvi Ahmed of London.
The president proposed a resolution on Assam�s recurrent flood problem. Tarun Chowdhury explained the devastating effect of floods in Assam, which merits immediate national intervention. The resolution was seconded by the vice president Khogeswar Lahon and others. The resolution was that the Government of India should be requested to declare Assam�s recurrent flood problem as a national issue and that the State and Central Government should be requested for a permanent solution of this problem.
Manjira Chowdhury, secretary ASSUK outlined the aims and objectives of Asam Sahitya Sabha. She also reiterated that a nation cannot survive without its language, literature and culture. To become a member of ASSUK one does not have to be a writer, linguist or a musician. All they have to do is to support the events, share their knowledge and love Assam. She also urged the diaspora to take active part to leave a legacy of being Asomiya, which one should take pride in. However, the recent molestation case in Assam has put the proud Asomiyas in a very awkward situation. Therefore a resolution was passed and seconded by the assembled people that the culprits should be punished with the maximum punishment available and that moral and spiritual education should be introduced from the basic level of education.
Geeta Borooah recited a poem written by Tapon Kumar Phukan titled Aai Toi Nekandibi dei, penned during the Assam Movement in 1980, and Dheera Hazarika recited a very touching self-composed poem written to go along with the occasion.
A short discussion also took place regarding the future of Asam Sahitya Sabha UK, where suggestions and positive feedback came from Juri Gogoi, Rupam Barthakur, Zinu Laskar, Puspa Hazarika, Prativa and MohanThomas, Puspa and Gagan Hazarika, Tarun Chowdhury, Khageswar Lahon, Kamal Hazarika, Dheera Hazarika, Geeta Borooah, Geetotpola Shah etc.
The cultural programme was inaugurated by Geetotpola Shah�s devotional songs written by her mother Annada Devi Bordoloi of Guwahati. It was followed by a chorus led by Kamal Hazarika, and sung by Dheera, Geeta, Khageswar, Surabhi, Geetotpola. Kamal Hazarika sang a few self-composed songs; Surabhi Lahon sang Bongeet and Manjira Chowdhury sang Laxminath Bezbaruah�s song and another song written by her late father, Mahesh Chandra Dev Goswami, accompanied on tabla by Asif Baba.
The clothes and plant stall by Geetotpola Shah and food stalls by Juri Gogoi and Anisha Baruah helped infuse a festive ambience. Manjira Chowdhury subsequently offered the vote of thanks and to those who took trouble to drive from different parts of the country to show solidarity to ASSUK and the hard working members of the executive committee, whose dedication and commitment made it possible to hold an event like ASSUK AGM and Sahitya Sanskriti Divas. The event concluded with the singing of O� Mor Aponar Desh.
