GUWAHATI, March 12 - The Assam Foundation-India organised a lecture and discussion on cultural similarities between Assam and Switzerland at the Assam State Museum here.
The lecture, delivered yesterday in the Kanaklal Barooah Auditorium of the museum, was based on a book Asom aru Switzerlandor Sanskritik Pratiswabi written by Dr HN Dutta, Vice-Chancellor of The Global Open University, Nagaland.
Dr Dutta covered aspects like social structure, festivals of cows, meji, burial mounds, monolithic structures and several other similarities between Assam and Switzerland.
Dr Amarjyoti Choudhury, Vice-Chancellor of Assam Down Town University (ADTU) who was the chief guest on the occasion, said that the mediaeval socio-economic guild of Assam has similarities with that of Switzerland.
Veteran journalist and columnist Dhirendra Nath Bezboruah in his speech said that Switzerland is famous for its cleanliness, banking system as well as industries.
Noted columnist and former bureaucrat Lakshminath Tamuly described Dr Dutta's work as "path breaking" and emphasised the need for carrying out further research on the subject.
Former bureaucrat Swapnanil Barua appreciated Dr Dutta for taking up such a strenuous work, discharging his duties both as a scholar and an administrator.
Senior journalist Dulal Sarma appreciated the book for covering the historical background of stone sculptures found in Golaghat region, while Sushen Sarma pointed out certain geographical similarities between Assam and Switzerland.
Artistes Surya Goswami and Dr Anima Choudhury also spoke on the occasion.
