MANGALDAI, Oct 27 - �The diverse nature of happenings in people�s day-to-day lives inspires me to keep on writing.�
The above was observed by Sarmistha Preetam, a young and promising writer from Phulaguri village in Nagaon district after receiving the third Special Literary Talent Award for Differently-abled Young Writers instituted by the Debsons Group of Mangaldai.
She was expressing her feelings in public after receiving the award at a function organised on Sunday at the District Library auditorium here. �Life, I feel is mysterious. The character of Karna, as depicted in the Mahabharata, has influenced me a lot in taking up challenges in life. My life, it seems has many similarities with him,� she claimed. �Karna bore the torture and did not move an inch even when stung by a poisonous insect in apprehension that his Guru Parashurama, who was resting on his lap, might be disturbed,� she recalled.
Dr Nirmal Kumar Choudhury, former Vice-Chancellor of Gauhati University, while taking part in the function as the chief guest handed over the award to Sarmistha Preetam, who has till date authored seven books, including Rong, Atmakotha and Antohin, among others.
In his address, Dr Choudhury appreciated the move by the Debsons Group led by prominent physician and writer Dr Amarendra Narayan Dev and urged upon all to inculcate the habit of donation for humanitarian causes. �We often donate to temples and mosques, but not for educational institutions or similar social causes. We should make donation for social causes our habit,� he maintained.
Earlier, eminent litterateur and journalist Homen Borgohain released a book titled Diabetes Doctor authored by Dr Amarendra Narayan Dev and said that the initiative taken up by Dr Dev to encourage and inspire the Divyanga literary talents of the State is a rare initiative. The population of Divyanga talents in India is about ten lakhs and financial support as well as encouragement and inspiration are the need of the hour, opined Homen Borgohain.�
Padmashree awardee-cum-litterateur and lyricist Elie Ahmed released the souvenir published to mark the function and presented Sarmistha Preetam with a on-the-spot composed poem on her. Legislator Guru Jyoti Das and Deputy Commissioner Ashok Kumar Barman also addressed the function.�
The function which ended with a vote of thanks from Arindam Narayan of the Debsons Group, witnessed recital of the Darrangi folk instrument �Kali� by Kulendra Nath, the only living veteran Kali player, while songs were rendered by radio artiste Pranjal Sarma and differently-abled artistes as well as music teacher of JNV, Darrang, Dilip Barua.
Earlier, the inaugural speech was delivered by Idrish Ali, former vice president of Asam Sahitya Sabha.
It may perhaps not be out of place to mention here that in the first year the award was presented to Rashmi Rekha Bhuyan of Barabhuyan village of Sootea, while last year the recipient was Jesmin Ara Ahmed of Howly-Mohanpur village near here.
