GUWAHATI, Feb 20 � Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi gave away the Bir Chilarai Award (2008), the Ganesh Gogoi Award (2008) and the Dr Bhabendra Nath Saikia Award (2010) to litterateur, educationist and social worker Ambikacharan Choudhury, poet Ajit Baruah and actor Biju Phukan respectively for their contribution in their respective fields at a function at Rabindra Bhawan here this evening.
The awards instituted by the Directorate of Cultural Affairs, Government of Assam, comprise a shawl, a citation and a cheque of Rs 1 lakh each.
Speaking on the occasion, Gogoi recalled the contributions of Bir Chilarai, poet Ganesh Gogoi and filmmaker and author Dr Bhabendra Nath Saikia, and urged the people of Assam to imbibe their qualities in the interest of the greater Assamese society.
Gogoi also hailed the contributions of the three awardees and appreciated their role in upholding the State�s identity. �We are proud of them and the Government is committed to do whatever is needed in the field of art, culture and literature,� the Chief Minister stated.
Earlier, litterateur Ambikacharan Choudhury, after receiving the award, while stressing on the need for maintaining unity and integrity of the greater Assamese society, called upon the people of Assam to share their responsibility in this regard.
He also urged the people of Assam to follow the ideals of Vaishanvite saint Sankardev.
Singer Sadananda Gogoi read out the speech of poet Ajit Baruah. In his speech, he expressed happiness over receiving the award named after Ganesh Gogoi, whom he had met when he was six.
Actor Biju Phukan, in his speech, dwelt on the sorry picture of the regional film industry and urged the Chief Minister to take steps in reviving the cinema halls and, if necessary, constitute a committee of experts to look after the proceedings.
�When I started my career with the movie Dr Bezbaruah, I never thought I would come this far where my work would be appreciated so much. I hope every artiste gets similar appreciation,� Phukan said.
Cultural Affairs Minister Bharat Chandra Narah, MLA Robin Bordoloi and DGP Sankar Baruah were also present on the occasion, besides a host of other noted personalities.