GUWAHATI, July 26 � In a befitting tribute to the great litterateur who successfully created an ambience of storytelling and listening in the State through his Burhi Aair Sadhu, children of the capital city today narrated stories they knew in the best style possible and enjoyed the stories told to them by elders.
On the occasion of the centenary year of the publication of Laxminath Bezbaruah�s invaluable contribution Burhi Aair Sadhu, socio-cultural organization called Vande is conducting a three-day storytelling workshop at Bishnu Nirmala Bhawan, Latashil. The workshop, attended by 35 children, was inaugurated today by TG Baruah, chairman of Assam Tribune group of newspapers.
It may be mentioned here that Burhi Aair Sadhu, which has been in the centre stage of Assamese literature and captivating the attention of young and old alike because of the pure joy provided by the collection, was first published as a book in 1911.
Noted writer of children books, Gagan Chandra Adhikari, who is one of the resource persons of the workshop, said that this workshop will go a long way in reviving the art of storytelling amongst the children.
�Stories for children should provide pleasure first, satisfy the curiosity of the child and introduce them to the world around in a smooth manner,� said Adhikari asserting that in view of the tremendous changes sweeping across the State, it has become necessary to bring some adjustments in the presentation of stories.
�With the help of the old, we can introduce our children to this changing world so that they get entertainment as well as information,� observed Adhikari adding that Burhi Aair Sadhu was replete with all the ingredients to capture the attention of a child.
He further said that Burhi Aair Sadhu was also educative and exposed the listener to choices between what was right and wrong.
Here it is worth mentioning that stories of Tejimola, Tula aru Teja, Champavati, Lotkon, Sarabjan, etc., from Burhi Aair Sadhu have succeeded to appeal to the literary critics as well as these stories, apart from providing pure joy, also reflect the social ethos and the age-old conflicts in relationships.
Tejimola is perhaps one of the most widely interpreted stories by the modern day critics � particularly the character of Tejimola�s stepmother is a critic�s delight.
The storytelling workshop saw children listening with rapt attention to the story of Tejimola narrated by a participant.
Adhikari said that these stories served the purpose of mental development and he stressed that present day children literature should too ensure that knowledge of the child increases through reading and listening.
On the other hand, Adhikari said that elders should look into it that children get introduced to their own culture and tradition first through the medium of storytelling or reading. �It has become almost trendy to introduce the child to foreign stories first. This should be avoided and the child should know his own world around him and later he should be told stories from foreign land,� advised Adhikari.
