NALBARI, Aug 12 - The mobile theatre awards introduced by the Asam Sahitya Sabha was presented at a function held at Nalbari Natya Mandir on Sunday.
The Asam Sahitya Sabha conferred lifetime achievement award to Krishna Roy, proprietor of Awahan Theatre as formal recognition for his contribution towards the mobile theatre movement.
The award was presented to the artiste by Sahityacharya Dr Basanta Kumar Bhattacharya and litterateur Mrinalini Devi. The other awards presented by the Sahitya Sabha are best natya sahitya award to Abhijit Bhattacharya, best theatre group award to Theatre Surya, best plays Deuta by Bordoichila Theatre and Mastan by Brindaban Theatre, Best director award to Mridul Baruah, best actor award to Sanjib Sarma, best co-actor award to Jogesh Kashyap, best actress award to Prastuti Parasar, best co-actress award to Nani Devi, best music award to Tarali Sarma, best stage artist award to Papul Saikia, best light technician award to Champak Kalita and best song award to Ajoy Phukan.
Addressing the awards-presentation ceremony, Dr Paramananda Rajbongshi said that the state Government should take the responsibility to protect mobile theatres, which is an identity of Assamese art and culture, which is facing stiff challenge now-a-days.
He added that the Asam Sahitya Sabha has decided to honour artistes of the large cultural industry every year and will mount pressure on the state Government to set up a museum so that the scripts and other material used by the mobile theatre groups may be preserved for the new generation.
Dr Rajbongshi declared that a committee headed by Nalbari MLA Ashok Sarma was constituted to continue discussion with the State Government for betterment of the mobile theatre sector.
Other members of the committee are Surya Hazarika,Thaneswar Malakar and Swapnanil Baruah. A souvenir brought out on the occasion was released by renowned writer and state DGP Kuladhar Saikia.
In his speech, Saikia said that the state�s mobile theatres have a good numbers of elements which they can very well boast about. The Government should take steps to preserve this art form, he added.
The meeting, inaugurated by Ashok Sarma, MLA of Nalbari LAC, was addressed among others by Bhabesh Kalita, Minister for Irrigation, Bharat Bhusan Dev Choudhury, Deputy Commissioner of Nalbari and Padum Rajkhowa,secretary general of Asam Sahitya Sabha.
