GUWAHATI, Feb 27 � The 158th anniversary of the martyrdom of Maniram Dewan and Piyali Baruah was observed at a commemorating meeting held at the Kanaklal Barua Auditorium of the State Museum here yesterday. It was organised by the Maniram Dewan Memorial Trust, Guwahati.
Delivering the Eighth Maniram Dewan Memorial Lecture, noted writer and columnist Arup Kumar Dutta focussed on the intellectual abilities of Maniram Dewan and his efficiency as an administrator. Dewan was also a pioneer industrialist in this part of the country. Above all, he was a patriot, said the noted writer, who has contributed immensely in propagating the information on the role played by Maniram Dewan in discovering Assam tea through his English book Cha Garam.
Inaugurating the function, noted writer Lakshmi Nandan Bora urged for steps to publish books in English to give wide publicity to the role played by Maniram Dewan as a patriot, statesman and industrialist.
In his presidential address, veteran journalist Dhirendra Nath Chakravartty regretted the fact that despite his being the best among the freedom fighters of the 1857 freedom struggle, he has not received his due recognition so far.
The function was addressed, among others, by Devadas Bharali, additional general secretary of the trust Mridula Kakati Hazarika.
