GUWAHATI, Feb 29 - Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal today released a compilation of Assamese children�s literature Asom Sishu Sahitya Kosh at an event at the Sankaradeva International Auditorium of Srimanta Sankaradeva Kalakshetra at Panjabari here today.
The compilation � containing literary works over the last 500 years meant for children � was carried out by the Krishna Kanta Handiqui State Open University (KKHSOU). It has been published in 41 volumes, with each consisting of 1,000 pages.
KKHSOU Vice Chancellor Dr Hitesh Deka, Registrar Dr Arupjyoti Choudhury, and Media Adviser to the Chief Minister Hrishikesh Goswami, among others, were present at the event.
Chief Minister Sonowal, while praising the effort of the university, said that the initiative would help preserve Assamese children�s literature for the posterity.
�Children are the assets of our society and these assets can be protected only through our rich literature. Children literature is a powerful tool for shaping children�s personality, which has a lifelong impact on them. Literature teaches children about humanitarian values and makes them capable of critical thinking. The work of the university will not only enrich children�s literature but also enhance Assamese literature in general,� he said.
Hrishikesh Goswami, while giving a brief history of Assamese children�s literature, said that importance should be given on children�s literature to form a knowledge-based society.
�If we do not create strong literature for children, then we will not be able to get good litterateurs in the future,� he said, adding that just like the compilation of children literature, an encyclopedia of children literature would also be a reality in the near future.
Earlier, in the introductory speech Dr Hitesh Deka gave an account of the efforts for compiling the volume.
�The task was very challenging for us. Earlier we thought that all the publications of the Assamese children�s literature could be preserved in around 20 volumes but it took us 41 volumes for the purpose. Steps have also been taken to preserve the volumes in digital format.�
Thanking the editorial team for its tireless effort to make the project successful within two-and-a-half-years, Dr Deka said that the Assam government had provided Rs 3 crore to the university for the purpose.
�The Asom Sishu Sahitya Kosh might be the first-of-its-kind initiative in the entire country,� he added.
The editorial team was also felicitated on the occasion. Dr Arupjyoti Choudhury offered the vote of thanks.
