GUWAHATI, Dec 25 � The Kamrup Mahanagar Zila Sahitya Sabha today gave a clarion call to the Assamese writers not to sing a sad and pessimistic tune in respect of the future of the Assamese language in particular and the great Assamese community in general.
This observation was made by several writers including Kanaksen Deka, former president of Asam Sahitya Sabha at the concluding session of the three-day special annual session of the Kamrup Mahanagar Zila Sahitya Sabha that began on December 23 at the Biswaratna Bhupen Hazarika Kshetra, Super Market, Dispur.
Inaugurating the function, Deka said that the number of the Assamese people which went down to 13 lakh, after the Burmese invasion, had now crossed 31 million and as such there should not be any apprehension about the decadence and extinction of the Assamese community.
Referring to the challenges before the Assamese people � both real and imaginary � Deka said that there would not be any danger to the Assamese language from the English-medium schools as only five per cent of the school students of the State studied in English medium. He also exhorted the writers to instill a positive outlook among the Assamese people.
Pointing out the areas where Assamese intelligence and their creations had attracted world attention, Deka mentioned the growing popularity of Assamese food items like khar and tenga in the five-star hotels of the country.
DN Chakravartty who presided over the session narrated the schemes taken up by the Sabha to generate greater interest among the different sections of the people about Assamese culture and literature. He appealed to the sakha (branch) Sahitya Sabhas to work jointly to set an example before the other sakha Sabhas of the State.
Tabiul Hussain and Kapur Chand Jain, in their speeches, dwelt at length on the richness of the Assamese literature and the great role of Asam Sahitya Sabha.
