DIGBOI, Jan 19 - The final phase of the golden jubilee celebrations of Digboi College from January 10-12, concluded with the resolve to carry on the task of taking this premier college of Margherita subdivision to a formidable height of glory and excellence.
The celebrations began on January 10 morning with the hoisting of the college flag by the Principal, Dr Dip Saikia in the presence of a huge gathering of teachers, students, employees and well-wishers. The flag hoisting was followed by paying of tributes to martyrs at the martyrs� column of the college by HN Sarma, the president of the governing body and the Golden Jubilee Celebration Committee and rendering of tributary services. The next item was the flagging off of an impressive and colourful cultural procession along the main thoroughfare of the township by Mugdha Jyoti Mahanta, Tinsukia SP and an eminent litterateur. Then an exhibition and book fair organized on the occasion was inaugurated by Pradyut Bordoloi, Margherita MLA and former minister.
The afternoon session saw the offering of homage to the former teachers and employees of the college. The event was chaired by Dr Dip Saikia and introduced by Dr Rashmi Patowary. The souvenir Hiranmoy published on the occasion was released by Imran Shah, noted fiction writer and outgoing president of the Asam Sahitya Sabha with an enlightening speech on the current trends of Assamese literature and culture. In the evening the stage was opened by a local elderly exponent of classical music, Durgesh Brahmachari for a bonanza of songs and dances by local artistes and the guest-artiste Mausam Gogoi.
On the next day, the programme began with the internationally famed innovator and scientist, Dr Uddhab Bharali�s intimate session of sharing of thoughts and ideas relating to his innovations with the students. The �Golden Jubilee Lecture� was delivered by Dr Jaimini Bhagwati, former envoy to several European countries and ex-chairman of the Corporate Finance Branch of the World Bank. Dr Bhagwati in his lecture referred to Stephan Zwig�s stories calling attention to the large scale destruction of life and property in course of the World War-I. He said that there was a huge disparity between income and wealth, a disparity that reflected the failure of the Government to tap the resources up to the optimum level. While non-performing agencies were a burden, the State could go for Bio-tech industries and 30/40 megawatt hydro-projects to re-quip power shortage and make proper utilization of the water resources.
In the afternoon the old and the present students meet was held under the presidentship of Gurubandhu Chakaraborty, an alumnus of the college and retired teacher of AOD HS School.
The cultural evening of the day was inaugurated by Dr P C Bhattacharya, Station Director of AIR, Guwahati. The guest artistes were Priyam and Neelam.
The open session January 12 was attended among others by Dr AK Buragohain, VC of Dibrugarh University as the chief guest, Pawan Borthakur, Principal Secretary of the Education Department of the Government of Assam as the guest of honour, Puru Gupta, Deputy Commissioner of Tinsukia, Dr Bolen Das, president of the Principals� Council of Assam, Naren Changmai, president of ACTA, Dr Prakash Borthakur, Principal of Doomdooma College, Dr Buddhin Gogoi, Principal of Margherita College, Dr KP Upadhyaya, Principal of Ledo College and Dr PC Das, Principal of Tinsukia Commerce College as distinguished guests.
HN Sarma presided over the meeting and Dr Dip Saikia who is also the working president of the Golden Jubilee Celebration Committee welcomed the guests and the gathering by highlighting the achievements of the college in the recent years.
