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Sabha centenary celebration ends

By Pankaj Borthakur

JOYSAGAR (SIVASAGAR), Feb 12 - Retrospection on the effectiveness of significant works of the last 100 years of the Asam Sahitya Sabha and resolutions for development of language and literature in State took centre-stage at the open session of the concluding day agenda of the centenary celebration of the leading literary body at the historic Jerenga Pathar here today.

Presiding the open session, Sabha�s president (in-charge) Prahlad Chandra Tasa delivered a pragmatic speech that categorically mentioned about the utmost need of retrospection on the past works of the century-old literary organisation and proper evaluation of their results. �We will have to find out the areas where we could achieve success and where we had failed,� he said.

Tasa also admitted that the Asam Sahitya Sabha has to do countless activities to reinstate the popularity of the Assamese language among various communities of the State and its neighbouring provinces where the Assamese was earlier adopted as a lingua franca.

To take Assamese literature closer to the global readers, Tasa propagated a scheme for publication of invaluable books on the electronic platform (e-books) so that readers can read them as per their choices in any corner of the world.

Without mentioning any specific guidelines or rules of the Sabha, Tasa also advocated fine tuning of some of the norms of the literary body to achieve better results in revitalisation of the vernacular language and literature in the nook and corner of the northeastern region, where offices of the Sahitya Sabha were set up when Assam was an undivided State.

The Asam Sahitya Sabha adopted 15 resolutions in the open session on the concluding day of the centenary event to revitalise the spirit of using the mother tongue in schools, government offices and to popularise the language and literature of different indigenous communities.

The Sabha has significantly decided to open new vernacular schools in different areas of the State. The school will have the name Asam Sahitya Sabha Vidyalaya. It has also decided to set up an academic body billed Matribhasa Vidyalaya Samannay Mancha to provide effective guidance for preparation of the curriculum for vernacular schools. The Sabha is also planning to award devoted teachers of government and private vernacular medium schools of the State for their excellence.

In another resolution, the Sabha decided to start an electronic satellite channel to promote the indigenous language, literature, culture and traditions of the region. Sabha will request the State and Central governments to bear the initial expenditure for the electronic channel.

Former Sabha president Imran Shah, eminent litterateurs Ashish Kumar Baidya of Tripura and Dr Chandra Kanta Patil of Maharashtra were present in the open session.

A seminar sponsored by the Sahitya Akademi was also part of the agenda today. Along with Baidya and Dr Patil, Assamese writers Dr Kula Saikia, Dr Dipak Kumar Sharma and Dr Kutubuddin Ahmed took part in the seminar that highlighted different aspects of the literary traditions of indigenous tribes. The programme was moderated by Dr Protim Sharma.

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