DHUBRI, Aug 24 - Residents of Dhubri district have demanded that the State government accord due recognition to 80-year-old Koren Chandra Roy, who was once known all over the State for his realistic oil paintings and for life-like portraits of different, social cultural and political figures.
Roy, who is a master craftsman of oil paintings has innumerable illustrations of famous people of the district including the members of Gauripur Royal Family, freedom fighters and political and cultural figures. �At that time there were no colour photographs, and people found my paintings so real as if the images in the paintings will talk to them�, said Roy, who informed that his illustrations are kept in different offices of the State and also in the Gauripur Palace museum. He also said that many clubs of the district still use his paintings of Mahatma Gandhi, Subhash Chandra Bose, Jawaharlal Nehru and Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, to pay them homage on different occasions.
The artist says, �Impressed by my art, many well-known personalities of that time, used to call me and asked me to either make a portrait of theirs or their near and dear ones�. Roy, a resident of Kurir Par Village, near Gauripur, worked as a 4th Grade employee at Dhubri TB hospital.
However, the concerned citizens of the district wish that Roy be honoured like his contemporaries. �There are thousands of pieces of evidence that Roy was not only famous for his art, in the 1970�s till 2000, but was also celebrated all over. But, he was never recognised by the State bodies and honoured like his contemporaries�, said Simul Sarkar a social activist of the district. He also added that the State must appreciate and honour this gem so that the coming generations can get inspired.
Meanwhile, Mrinmoy Das, the Curator of Dhubri district museum informed that The Directorate of Museums, Govt of Assam has also planned to make Roy�s paintings a part of an important exhibition at the inaugural ceremony of the District Museum of Dibrugarh to be held shortly next month.
�The Directorate of Museums has come forward to preserve the paintings of Sri Koren Chandra Roy. These paintings will be treated wherever necessary through curative conservation to be restored to their original forms. Also, the paintings will be a part of the permanent collection of the Assam State Museum�, added Das.