GUWAHATI, Oct 26 � Educationists and intellectuals on Sunday made an appeal to people to show respect towards the multifaceted stalwart Padmanath Gohain Baruah by organizing a celebratory function in his memory which should be in line with the celebration of the 150th birth anniversary of Lakshminath Bezbaroa.
Presenting the 4th Dr Jogendranarayan Bhuyan Memorial Lecture at the auditorium of the Assam State Museum here on the contributions of Padmanath Gohain Baruah towards the growth of Assamese language and literature, educationist and writer Dr Banikanta Sarma said that the society needs to recall the contributions of the illustrious son of the soil, who was a teacher and social reformer as well.
Organized by the Dr Jogendranarayan Bhuyan Memorial Trust Samiti, the function was presided over by Dr Nagen Saikia.
Dr Sarma touched upon the socio-political situation of the 19th century Assam while highlighting on the life and literature of Padmanath Gohain Baruah.
Dr Sarma spoke at length on the contributions of Padmanath Gohain Baruah towards different literary genres including novels, drama, poetry, biography, etc.
Referring to Gohain Baruah�s novels Bhanumoti and Lahori, Dr Sarma mentioned that these two novels have a special place in Assamese literature.
Lahori is regarded as the first Assamese novel. Though a number of his predecessors wrote a few novels in Assamese, but from the literary point of view, Lahori is regarded as the first Assamese novel.
Dr Sarma also referred to the plays of Gohain Baruah including Sadhani, Lachit Borphukan, Gaonburha, etc, and said that the contributions of this legend as a playwright was incomparable.
It needs to be mentioned here that the Trust, apart from organizing memorial lectures, has also been holding essay contests, providing scholarship, etc, to keep the memory of Dr Jogendranarayan Bhuyan, a scholar with a difference, alive.
In the State level essay contest for college students organized this year, the first prize carrying Rs 5000, a citation and books went to Haripriya Bora, while the second prize of Rs 3000, citation and books and the third prize of Rs 2000, citation and books went to Swapnali Gogoi and Nasira Begum respectively.
Earlier, floral tributes were paid before the portrait of Dr Jogendranarayan Bhuyan.
