GUWAHATI, July 20 � The Asam Sahitya Sabha UK (ASSUK) held its 13th annual general meeting and cultural show at St. Matthew�s Centre at Leicester on July 2, an e-mail received here stated. People all over the UK, Europe and Assam came to celebrate the event.
The day-long packed programme included registration and welcome to the guests with �Chah Jalpan�. Kamal Hazarika hoisted the Asam Sahitya Sabha flag and all others present sang the song O Mor Aponar Desh.
The ASSUK�s president Lahori Barthakur stated that the main objective of ASSUK is to restore, promote and preserve Assamese language, literature, culture among the Assamese diaspora and the multicultural society in UK. One of its objective is to encourage the young generation of Assamese community born and brought up in UK to imbibe and uphold their culture and heritage with pride.
The new executive committee members were introduced and they delivered a short introduction about themselves and promised to fulfil the aims and objectives of Asam Sahitya Sabha UK. The committee consists of Lahori Barthakur as president; Khageswar Lahon as vice president, Manjira Chowdhury, general secretary, Geeta Borooah, treasurer, Surabhi Lahon, cultural secretary, Kamal Hazarika, adviser; Gagon Hazarika, adviser and chairman ASSUK Trust; Nilmoni Sikdar, editor of the ASSUK Newsletter. The other executive members are Puspa Hazarika, Dheera Hazarika, Geeta Sikdar, Anil Barthakur, Tarun Kumar Chowdhury, and Anima Sharma.
Following this the ASSUK�s newsletter�s first issue edited by Nilmoni Sikdar and produced by Lahori Barthakur was released.
The AGM ended with the two wonderful recitations by Mayapee Chowdhury from her self-composed poem and Dheera Hazarika�s poem written by poet Sayed Saadullah of Dibrugarh were well appreciated.
A painting and drawing workshop was conducted by Anil Barthakur and was assisted by his son Rupam and his daughter-in-law Christine; and attracted many enthusiastic guests of different age group, young and old. The painting competition was to paint a model where Rishi Chowdhury poised as a model of typical Assamese young boy with dhoti, punjabi and gamosa and holding a �dhol� on his hand. The workshop team�s members Rupam, Jenni, Christine and Nilmoni�s paintings were auctioned to raise fund for the Sabha.
The cultural show was opened by a chorus taught and led by Kamal Hazarika and sung by Dheera, Surabhi, Khogeswar, Puspa, Geeta Sikdar, Nilmoni Rishi Chowdhury, accompanied on tabla. Modern solo songs were sung by Kamal Hazarika, Surabhi Lahon, Nilmoni Sikdar and Sohida Haque. Talented singer Samyami Chowdhury along with her flute sang songs accompanied by Rishi Chowdhury in tabla, and Ron Laskar in guitar earned appreciation. The guest artist from Assam, Madhurima Chowdhury who is a multitalented artist and trained in Sattriya dance, Borgeet, and acting and also awarded �Guru of Bihu� (folk) dance by Government of India graced the occasion through her remarkable �Deodhani Nritya� which absolutely mesmerised the audience. She also taught Bihu dances to Lorna Miri and Suraiya Din and formed a group of four including herself and her talented daughter Mridutrisha and performed a wonderful group Bihu dance. Navina Aurora�s solo dance, Mridutrisha, Anirban and Dinesh�s well choreographed, high quality dances earned applause from the audience.
At the end of the cultural show Manjira Chowdhury offered vote of thanks to the president, chairman of the trust and all other committee members for their hard work, to all guests and the young people present and for making the event a great success.
