HAILAKANDI, Sept 11 - In order to create a bond of amity between the people of Barak and Brahmaputra valleys on the occasion of the completion of hundred years of the Asam Sahitya Sabha, a day-long programme was organised here by the Hailakandi district administration in collaboration with Dreams, a socio-cultural organisation at Nazrul Sadan on Saturday.
Speaking on the occasion, the secretary of the Asam Sahitya Sabha, Dr Paramananda Rajbongshi stressed the need of literary and cultural exchanges between Barak and Brahmaputra valleys for strengthening the bond of amity. He said that a group of people is active to break the age-old good relations between different communities of the State. The Asam Sahitya Sabha believes in peaceful coexistence of different communities, he said adding that the Sabha met the Chief Minister and demanded the repairing of roads of Barak Valley seven years back when they first visited different parts of the valley to spread the goodwill message. He informed that they paid tributes to the language martyrs of Barak Valley. According to him, those who don�t love their mother can�t love the mothers of others.
He said that the Sabha was established in 1917 with a view to serve the people of Assam and not exclusively for the Assamese. He said that demand for the establishment of a university in Guwahati was first raised by Sir Ashutosh Mukhapadhyay of Bengal, because he wanted to spread education in Assam and was concerned for the development of the people of Assam. He assured that similar exchange programmes will also be organised in other districts of Assam. He narrated the contribution of the Sabha during the last 100 years for the development of the State.
Speaking on the occasion, the Deputy Commissioner of Hailakandi, Krishna Gobinda Bhuyan said that Asam Sahitya Sabha doesn�t mean the Assamese Sahitya Sabha � it is a platform of all the people of Assam and that�s why the name has been given as Asam Sahitya Sabha. He also stressed the need of cultural and literary exchanges among the different sections of people of the State. He said that this sort of tour of the office bearers of Sabha will definitely strengthen relations between the Barak and Brahmaputra valleys.
Earlier, Dr Rajbongshi was felicitated by the president of Dreams, Gautam Gupta and other members of the Sabha were also felicitated. A cultural programme was also held on the occasion in the evening where both Bengali and Assamese songs were performed by the artistes of both the valleys including Dreams.
