UDALGURI, Jan 3 - �Udalguri in Assam is enriched with Nepali literary flavour and the Sahitya Akademi is happy to come here itself to felicitate a litterateur like Tarapati Upadhyaya from whom the present generation of writers in Nepali, Assamese, Hindi and Bodo languages can learn a lot and get inspired.� This was the observation made by Prem Pradhan, coordinator of Nepali in Sahitya Akademi while addressing the congregation of literary figures here at a function held at Golmgaon High School premises in Udalguri town recently. The programme was arranged by the Sahitya Akademi in collaboration with the Udalguri district committee of Asom Nepali Sahitya Sabha to confer ceremonious honour on octogenarian Nepali litterateur of the North-east India, Tarapati Upadhyaya.
The first session of the daylong programme got under way with a speech by Dr Jiban Namdung, former coordinator of Nepali literature under the Sahitya Akademi and Prem Pradhan, present coordinator of the literary organisation under the Ministry of Cultural affairs of Government of India. The first session was also addressed by Gyan Bahadur Chetry, member of the Akademi in the Nepali section from Assam.
In the second session, eight selected writers and poets Dr Jiban Rana from Doors, West Bengal, Sukraj Diyali from Siliguri, Gopichand Pradhan from Darjeeling, Rudra Baral from Sonitpur, Jagannidi Dahal from Rowta, Rewati Raman Sapkota, Laksman Adhikari and Baidyanath Upadhyaya from Udalguri read out their literary pieces on the occasion.
In the last session, Dr Jiban Namdung, former coordinator and Prem Pradhan, present coordinator of the Sahitya Akademi, New Delhi ceremoniously honoured Tarapati Upadhyaya, the octogenarian litterateur of Udalguri with packets of books and a citation. On the occasion, many others present on the occasion also felicitated the senior litterateur with Bodo aarnai, Assamese phulam gamosa, Dhaka topi and khada, a traditional Nepali attire.
The felicitation programme was also attended by NM Boro, Sahitya Akademi award recipient in children�s literature, Pushpadhar Sarmah, Sahitya Akademi award recipient in translation, Mukti Upadhyaya Baral from Siliguri, Sahitya Akademi award recipient in children�s literature, among others. Two books authored by Tarapati Upadhyaya and Bishnu Sarmah Neupane respectively were also released by the scholars of the Sahitya Akademi on the occasion.
Earlier, a welcome chorus by the group of Narendra Bikram Subba enthralled the audience.
