JORHAT, March 16 - Noted writer and researcher Dr Paramananda Majumder, who compiled the first book on the life and works of folk musician Moghai Ojah, was presented the 10th Moghai Ojah Award at a function held on Sunday at the auditorium of Jorhat Science Centre and Planetarium.
The award instituted in 2011 by the Jorhat district unit of the AJYCP, was given away to Dr Majumder by AJYCP general secretary Palash Changmai.
The award carried a cash prize of Rs 21,000, a citation, a gamosa, a seleng chadar and a memento. The award is annually presented on March 15, on the death anniversary of Ojah.
Speaking on the occasion, Changmai lauded Majumder for his invaluable contribution in bringing dhol maestro Moghai Ojah and his magnificent skill of playing the dhol back to public domain by compiling a book on him.
Changmai said Majumder toiled a lot to collect information on Ojah after the folk musician�s demise in 1978. He said Majumder was successful in recovering a few letters written by Ojah to Hemanga Biswasa, a well-known singer, composer, author and political activist who was instrumental in providing opportunities to Ojah to perform across India.
The AJYCP leader said that artistes play a significant role in raising issues of public interest and society�s betterment. He said that in present times too, a majority of artistes were coming forward to join the stir against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, which was a positive development. He said only a handful of people from the cultural field were backing the government on the law that was against the interests of the indigenous people of Assam.
AJYCP president Rana Pratap Baruah praised Majumder for his untiring efforts in collecting information on the life and works of the dhol maestro.
Majumder, in his address, thanked the student organisation for bestowing the award instituted in the name of a great folk musician of Assam whose performances across the country was highly praised.
AJYCP state treasurer Siba Kalita, writer Jyotirekha Hazarika, who is also head of the Department of Assamese at JB College, associate professor Indeswar Das of the History Department at JB College, and a junior college teacher Dr Jayanta Madhab Dutta, who had made a documentary film on the life of Moghai Ojah, also spoke on the occasion.
It may be mentioned here that under the initiative of the AJYCP, a bust of Ojah was installed at MG Road near the Jorhat Police Station and the intersection was named Moghai Ojah Tiniali in 2016.
