TEZPUR, Sept 27 � In an august function held on September 20 at the Council Hall of Tezpur University, eminent litterateur Prof Nagen Saikia handed over some of the rare personal diaries of Rasaraj Lakshminath Bezbaroa to the Centre for Assamese Studies for archiving, digitisation and preservation purposes. The centre also launched a digitised version of Kirtana Ghosa and Naam Ghosa edited by Narayan Chandra Goswami, Satradhikar of Kamalabari Satra, Majuli at the event. The Vice Chancellor of Tezpur University, Prof Mihir Kanti Chaudhuri, formally launched the digitised versions of the two venerable texts which can henceforth be viewed on the Centre for Assamese Studies� webpage on the Tezpur University website.
Speaking on the occasion, Prof Chaudhuri emphasised on the the need for undertaking quality research at the Centre for Assamese Studies and also underscored the importance of digital archiving and preservation of rare manuscripts and texts in Assamese.
Delivering his lecture on the occasion, Prof Nagen Saikia noted that his handing over of Bezbaroa�s diaries to Tezpur University was extremely important in view of its assured preservation for posterity. His speech stressed on the pan-Indian as well as global perspectives as reflected in Sankardeva and Madhavdeva�s Kirtana Ghosa and Naam Ghosa. While upholding the need for preserving Assamese literary texts and cultural legacy, Prof Saikia also noted the importance of textual criticism in research work. He said that all research in arts should take recourse to the factual and logical methodology of the sciences.
The function began with the Dean of Humanities and Social Sciences, Prof SK Dutta, welcoming all dignitaries following which the Pro Vice Chancellor Prof Amarjyoti Choudhury spoke on the events that led to the establishment of the Centre for Assamese Studies and dwelt on the ongoing projects at CAS. In keeping with the prime aim of the centre to undertake and foster intensive and innovative study and research in Assamese language, literature and culture in their varied dimensions, at present, three projects are under way at the CAS � one on the issues of �Code Mixing and Switching in Modern Assamese�, another on comparative study of tribal literatures of North East India in relation to the rest of India and the third being translation of Rajanikanta Bordoloi�s epochal novel Miri Jiyori.