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

Beware Cong, BJP

29 Sep 2015 - 6:15pm | Mithun Baruah
Tinsukia AGP leader Dr Om Prakash Sahu criticized BJP and Congress accusing them of polarizing votes in the name of caste, creeds and religion 6 months ahead of the polls. Dr Sahu said that both the...

Antaranga-Alap at Nazira Press club

10 Dec 2013 - 6:56pm | SK Hasan
A glimpse of how government officials sharing ideas with a section of local residents at Nazira Press  Club on Tuesday. Sivasagar ADC  Isfakur Rahman, Border Magistrate Richland Ahmed,...

Sec 144 CrPC in Itanagar

9 Oct 2015 - 10:02pm | AT News Itanagar
The Papumpare district administration has restricted carrying of weapons like dao, knife, firearms in Itanagar in view of the upcoming festival seasons apprehending breach of peace and tranquility....

Felicitation programme

11 Jun 2018 - 9:48pm | AT Kokrajhar Bureau
Kokrajhar: Seven students who came out with flying colours in the last Higher Secondary High School Leaving Certificate examinations from Kanthalguri village in Kokrajhar were felicitated by the...

Other Contents by Author

After a brief halt, Dima Hasao erupts in an uneasy situation. A businessman died at an incident of miscreant attack on Tuesday. The incident took place at 8-30 in the evening when unidentified miscreants sprayed several rounds of bullets at a businessman at Convent Road in Haflong town. Identified as Panchadhar Chaudhury, the business man was on his way back to his residence from his firm. A seriously injured Chaudhury was taken to the hospital where he was declared brought dead. The miscreants vanished from the spot amid darkness. Policemen rushed to the spot. Investigation is going on.
Guwahati police on Tuesday arrested a person charging him with trying to outraging the modesty of a girl in the city on Monday. The arrested youth works with Amtron in Guwahati. The incident took place at GS Road in Guwahati where a group of miscreants stripped off a teen aged girl on Monday night in full view of the local residents.
Good news for Assam. Courtesy Asian Development Bank. It has extended loans worth Rs 1,462 cr to the Assam government to improve road infrastructure in the state. In three separate loan agreements signed between ADB and the government, Rs 374 crore to improve road connectivity in the north-eastern region. The loan to improve road connectivity in north-eastern region will be used to improve and upgrade 434 kilometres of road in Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Sikkim and Tripura. The project is expected to be completed by 2016.
A huge fund meant for uplift of the minority people went to the Centre because of some bunglings in Dispur.The allegation came from the Rajiv Bhawan where the party’s minority cell said that the central fund to the tune of Rs 137 crore remained idle during 2011-2012. The Assam Pradesh Congress Committee blames it all on a circle of bureaucrats. Addressing a press conference in Guwahati on Tuesday, APCC minority cell chairman said that they would from now on keep a watch on central and state government schemes for welfare of minorities and check utlisation of funds allocated for such purposes.
Caught in a string of anomalies and irregularities, the Assam Human Rights Commission has directed Dispur to form a high-level committee to investigate the allegations during the past five years. According to information, the decision was taken after the commission went through the media reports during recent weeks on 'massive embezzlement' of money in flood control and relief operations. It has directed the chief secretary NK Das to form a three-member panel to probe the allegations.
Local residents caught seven NDFB militants of the Ranjan Daimary faction and handed them over to the police at Udalguri district of Assam on Tuesday. According to police, seven, among whom five were NDFB(R) cadres and two linkwomen associated with the outfit, were caught by locals at Natun Basti area in the morning. The seven had been involved in many incidents of extortion in the area. A huge cache of arms including one US made pistol, 15 rounds of catridges, six hand grenades and two denonators, besides some incriminating documents, were recovered from them. The five NDFB(R) cadres have been identified as Pranjal Basumatary, Bhagya Bodo, Sansuma Basumatary, Saila Basumatary and Nersun...
A seven member Central team is on a three days stock taking visit to the flood-hit areas. Divided into three groups, the committee will tour lower and upper Assam district apart from the Barak valley. The team is expected to prepare a report on the extent of damage by flood and erosion. They are also likely to meet state Chief Secretary Naba Kumar Das on Thursday and hold discussions on flood situations along with rescue and relief measures.
The flash flood has rendered around 250 families homeless in Cachar district. The worst-hit areas include Madhura in Udharbond. The river Madhura, which originates from the hills of the neighbouring Dima Hasao district, completely ravaged the village with 22 families losing their homes and belongings. Assam Sports and Excise Minister Ajit Singh has directed the authorities to provide relief to the affected villagers.
The flood wave that ravages 27 districts have left Kaziranga National Park worst-hit. The toll of animals in the UNESCO World Heritage has mounted to 595. These include 17 rhinos, 512 hog deers, 28 wild boar, 15 sambars, 10 swamp deers, five porcupines, elephants, hogbadgers and python and one each of buffalo and jackal respectively.
The overall flood situation remains grim on Monday. Vast tracts of land in both Brahmaputra and Barak valleys are still submerged. The death toll continues to mount till 125. According to information, an estimated 24 lakh people have been affected in the worst-ever flood in recent years causing large-scale devastation in 4,540 villages with more than 9.35 lakh hectares of land completely inundated. The water levels of the major rivers are refusing to recede even after the halt in the incessant rains. The agriculture sector has been severely affected by the current wave of flood with 2.55 lakh hectares of cropland under water.