GUWAHATI, March 26 � The Sahityarathi Lakshminath Bezbaroa Award of the Asam Sahitya Sabha supported by the Sachichandra Borborua Trust, was presented to RG Baruah (posthumously) and The Assam Tribune Group at a function organised at the Lakhiram Baruah Sadan today.
The award carries Rs 2 lakh, a citation, a memento and other gifts. President of the apex literary body Imran Shah presented the award to PG Baruah, Managing Director of The Assam Tribune Group, who received the honour on behalf of RG Baruah and the Assam Tribune Group.
The award presentation ceremony was part of the daylong observation of the death anniversary of Lakshminath Bezbaroa, the pioneer of modern Assamese literature. The day is observed annually as Sahitya Divas by the Sabha.
The award function, presided over by Sabha president Shah, was attended by many dignitaries including Sachidananda Maharaj Babaji of Odisha, educationist Ranjit Dev Goswami, Padmashri Surya Hazarika, trustee of Sachichandra Borborua Trust Poran Borborua, vice president of the Sabha Dr Paramananda Rajbongshi and others.
Speaking on the occasion, Ranjit Dev Goswami dwelt at length on the life and contributions of Lakshminath Bezbaroa and particularly highlighted those traits in the literary crusader like his emphasis on equality, love for folk culture and keen eye for relevant images in all creative ventures.
On the other hand, Poran Borborua, while recalling his first glimpse of one of the architects of modern Assam RG Baruah, regretted that till now the state has not bestowed the honour due to such an illustrious son of the soil. He pointed out that no award has been instituted after RG Baruah nor any awards have been conferred on him posthumously by the state or the Centre. �It is time we came forward to promote the ideals of RG Baruah and kept his legacy alive,� he added.
Extending his gratitude to the Sabha and the Sachichandra Borborua Trust, PG Baruah said that he was happy to accept the honour and drew a line of similarity between the literary crusader and RG Baruah. He said that both had immense patriotism and unwavering love for the motherland and its language and culture. He observed that both the stalwarts had come forward to serve the state and both had the courage and determination to realize their dreams by overcoming every hurdle. Baruah hoped that the 150th birth anniversary celebration of the Sahityarathi will create a new wave of nationalism and love for one�s language and culture.
