GUWAHATI, April 10 - The 10th Golok Raimedhi Memorial Award for lifelong distinguished service was presented to senior journalist DN Chakravartty at a function held at Guwahati Press Club today.
Krishna Raimedhi, dramatist and retired Commissioner, PWD, presided over the meeting.
The award was conferred on Chakravartty in recognition of his lifelong services to the cause of development of the Assamese literature in general and journalism in particular.
Addressing the function as the chief guest, writer Dr Lakshmi Nandan Bora said that Chakravartty gave an open challenge to the ULFA in its heydays and castigated the militant outfit in the harshest of words, at a time when the general public of Assam and the intellectuals shuddered to utter any word against it.
Dr Bora lamented the lack of serious pursuits among the Assamese writers and intellectuals, saying that with a few honourable exceptions such as Dr Nagen Saikia and Dr Govinda Prasad Sarma, majority of the Assamese writers and intellectuals were found to be not at all serious about their own mission.
Pabitra Kumar Sarma, a member of the Asam Sahitya Sabha, while addressing the function as a special guest, complimented Krishna Raimedhi and his family for instituting the award to felicitate distinguished persons who had dedicated themselves to the cause of the development of the Assamese society in particular and the Indian nation in general.
Chakravartty, in his acceptance speech, thanked the Raimedhi family for the honour bestowed on him, and appealed to the people to think positively to bring about development and happiness in their personal life as well the larger welfare the Assamese society.
Chakravartty called upon the younger generation of Assam to be self-confident, honest and determined to compete equally with the best talents of the world and to harness the vast natural resources of the State for larger and lasting advancement of the Assamese society. He added that with the advancement of medical science and other areas of scientific investigation, it would be possible for man to live for 140 years.
Gariyashi Kashjyap rendered a Jyoti Sangeet while Aftab Hussain Choudhury presented a Borgeet.
Earlier, Malabika Raimedhi Das welcomed the guests, while Meena Kumari Raimedhi offered the vote of thanks.
