Skip to content Skip to navigation

Assam2008 held in USA

The NRI Assamese get together, Assam2008 of North America was held again this year on the 4th of July weekend. This annual event is part of an on-going effort to bring together the scattered Assamese community in North America for a celebration of Assamese heritage and culture. As always there is good fellowship, fun filled activities, cultural programs, special workshops, special presentations and of course lot of good food - catered and home baked. It was a 3 day event. The 1st day, July 3rd started with reception, registration, and then a group dinner at very nice restaurant where people can chat & socialize. The evening would have ended with dance to DJ Music. However, due to some family tragedy in one of the families this event was cancelled for the night. July 4th & 5th were filled many activities including options for families to go site seeing tour of nearby Valley Forge National Historical Park and Long Wood Botanical Garden during morning and early after noon.

Our guest artist for the event was well known Ms. Tarali Sarma, the only Assamese National Film Award winner for Best Female Playback Singer for the film Akashi Torar Kothare in 2004. She is a regular performing artist of All India Radio & Dooradarshan. She is a singer, composer, director, & philanthropist. Tarali not only performed on both days, but she also participated with our local talented artist Sankumani Sarma in a duet and played the harmonium in another song. She simply got everyone involved in singing and dancing on both days. Everyone had a blast having a good time and enjoyed her down to earth personality. We wish the best to Ms. Tarali Sarma and her family. Folks also bought Tarali’s latest CD like a hot cake.

In addition to our guest artist there were plenty other very talented artists who performed many different cultural items from flute recital, karate, Satriya dance, Assamese modern dance, Bihu dances, Husori, Hindi songs, Gazals, of course lot of Assamese songs, Bihu songs, Boro dances, too many to mention here. Thanks to all the talented local artists, without their support and participation we could not hold these events . The cultural show on 4th was started with a chorus specially composed for the event. Thanks go to Mrs. Anuja Bala Devi of Guwahati for composing. Music was given by her son Mr. Sankumani Sarma. Thank you Sankumani!

Some of the other highlights of the event was a workshop on CPR & Heimlich Maneuver, something everyone should know. Thanks to Dr. Nirode Das for this work shop where many got hands on training. FASS, Friends of Assam and Seven Sisters, USA representative Mr. Rajen Barua gave a very informative presentation on FASS and on the myriads of much needed projects the group is working on. He also showed the 1st ever Assamese audio-video show of a folk tale for children by Ankur Bora. And last but not least released "Learn Assamese with Flash Card", which sold like hot cakes.

By Dhruba Das, Pennsylvania, USA

Comments

Utpal Kumar Sharma's picture

Hi everybody there in US. Myself is Sankumani's elder brother from Guwahati. I was very happy to see the good works done by u people in US for Assamese culture and heritage.

Pages

Add new comment

Assamese Translator

Assam Times seeks English to Assamese translators!
Join our volunteer team.
Email editor@assamtimes.org.

Random Stories

Dima Haso scam likely to rock Parliament

1 Feb 2011 - 2:43pm | editor
CPIM general secretary Prakash Karat says that his party would raise the multi crore scam in NC Hills of Assam in parliament. Addressing a press conference in Guwahati on Monday, Karat said...

AIUDF leader quits party

18 Mar 2014 - 9:57am | AT News
Yet another leader has deserted AIUDF. He is none other than Bijay Krishna Nath.The top contender for Silchar seat resigned from the party immediately after Dr Pervez Ahmed Ali was fielded from...

Gogoi claims all round development

27 May 2012 - 1:00pm | editor
Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said Assam has developed on all fronts. In his address at the anniversary function at Sarusajai function on Saturday, Gogoi said that the state now ranks in third position...

CM stresses development

1 Jan 2015 - 2:18pm | AT News
Chief minister Tarun Gogoi said on Thursday that his government would spare no pain this year for the welfare of the people. Talking to reporters in Guwahati, Gogoisaud that overall development of...

Other Contents by Author

BJP leader L K Advani will be on a two-day visit to the BTAD areas on Monday and Tuesday. The BJP veteran will visit the worst-affected Kokrajhar district and some other areas in the state and meet the affected people in the relief camps. The visit assumes significance after a party team submitted its report to party president Nitin Gadkari. The BJP’s fact finding team blamed illegal immigrants for the violence and demanded that the Indo-Bangladesh border be sealed immediately and sought more deployment of army and para-military forces to check the spread of violence.
A delegation of Muslim leaders would visit the violence-hit areas on Sunday. Led by Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind general secretary Maulana Mahmood Madani, the team arrived in Guwahati on Saturday. The delegation is scheduled to leave for Bilasipura in Dhubri district and Kokrajhar in the morning. The delegation consists of several MPs, MLAs, Maulana Badruddin Ajmal, MP and President, Jamiat Ulama Assam state, Asaduddin Owaisi, MP, Hyderabad, Sabir Ali, MP, Bihar, Mualana Siddiquillah Chaudhri, secretary JUH West Bengal state, Hafiz Bashir Ahmad, MLA, Maulana Yahya acting president JUH Assam State and others, informed Abdul Hameed Noumani, Secretary for press and publicity, Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind. The...
The Assam Pradesh Congress Committee on Saturday demanded removal of Kokrajhar DC and SP alleging that the duo failed to ensure safety and security of the lives of innocent people killed in ethnic clash. In a memorandum submitted to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in Kokrajhar, APCC vice-president VL Karna alleged that the district administration miserably failed to bring the situation under control.
The All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul Muslimeen on Saturday alleged that only the Muslims are being targeted in Kokrajhar and Chirang districts in the name of the ethnic frenzy. Addressing a press conference in Guwaahti, the party further demands a high-level inquiry into it. Party leader Asaduddin Owaisi further demanded that relief work should be carried out for the victims and the measures should be swiftly initiated to rehabilitate them.
The situation in the violence-hit Bodoland Territorial Area and Dhubri is by and large peaceful. There is no report of any fresh incident on Saturday. Army on Saturday staged flag marches in the hyper sensitive areas. Police and paramilitary forces are still on intensified patrolling in all the affected districts. Curfew was relaxed in worst-hit Kokrajhar district from 12 hours. In Dhubri it was relaxed 12 hours. Only night curfew stands in force in Chirang. The Centre has sent 65 companies of paramilitary forces for deployment in the affected districts.
Opposition AIUDF on Saturday urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to order a CBI probe into the violence in Assam. Talking to reporters in Guwahati after meeting Dr Singh, AIUDF President Badruddin Ajmal said that considering the magnitude and consequences of the clash, a CBI enquiry should be directed to find out the root cause of the violence. He alleged that BTAD administration and Dispur had prior information of a disturbance. But they either failed or ignored to take preventive measures. He held Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi responsible for the violence which could have been avoided. Ajmal who was leading a 24-member AIUDF delegation submitted a memorandum demanding that the Bodoland...
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s visit to Kokrajhar was delayed by a few hours when his helicopter returned midway from a flight on Saturday due to a technical problem. The Prime Minister's helicopter returned 15 minutes after take off from the Lokopriyo Bordoloi International Airport in Guwahati. Sources confirmed that the chopper developed a technical snag. But the details would be confirmed by the PMO only. At around 12-30, Dr Singh left Lokopriyo Gopinath International Airport for Kokrajhar by another helicopter accompanied by Assam governor J B Patnaik, chief minister Tarun Gogoi, AICC general secretary Digvijay Singh, Assam Pradesh congress committee president Bhubaneswar...
Disappointing day for Assam. Boxing sensation Shiva Thapa was spanked by his Mexican rival Oscar Valdez Fierro in the bantamweight opening round bout in the London Games, in London on Saturday. The 18-year-old was out-punched 9-14 in the much-anticipated bout as India began their boxing campaign on a losing note at the Excel arena in London.The young boxer from Assam started his 56kg bout defensively as he allowed his Mexican rival to dictate terms on him.
Prime Minister Dr Manomhan Singh said that the top priority would be to restore normalcy in the violence-hit areas. Addressing a press conference in Kokrajhar during his hurricane tour to the volatile Kokrajhar on Saturday he said that a probe would be instituted to ascertain the reason behind the clash that claimed 58 lives. "If the conflict has been instigated, the guilty must be punished. The central government will work closely with the state government to ensure this," he said.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday stressed a sense of security in the minds of the all affected people in the violence-hit areas. During his brief visit to Kokrajhar, Dr Singh called the ethnic clash a blot on the nation. Talking to reporters at the Kokrajhar Circuit House, he said, “it should not have happened. This is a blot on our nation." After meeting the victims at a relief camp, Dr Singh said that the conflict was unacceptable and must come to a stop. He said Delhi would work with Dispur to provide a sense of security to all affected areas to ensure that they can go back to their houses with a secured mind and heart.