Chord of Harmony: The Sattras & Dargahs of Assam, like the subjects themselves, is actually a reflection of the philosophy of humanism and universal brotherhood propagated by the great saints of Assam, Srimanta Sankardeva and Azaan Pir—a philosophy nurtured and carried forward by the later apostles and followers of both the saints. The Sankardeva movement, spearheaded by the Vaishnavite monasteries called the sattras, not only watered down the system of discrimination on the basis of caste, but also strived to save the society from practices of religious bigotry and untouchability by creating a system of harmonious co-existence. If the sattras remind people of Sankardeva’s contribution to social cohesion and the socio-cultural and literary resurgence in Assam, the dargahs, as the graves of the Muslim spiritual leaders are known, have remained the strongest symbols of the teachings of the Muslim pirs who did come to spread Islam, but stressed on unity among people of all faiths. No wonder, these dargahs spread across Assam are a favourite destination of both Muslims and Hindus, besides people of other faiths. Wasbir Hussain and Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta bring out the stories of these religious leaders who were great unifiers of people by featuring some of the sattras and dargahs.
11 Dec 2008 - 7:42pm | editor
Noted litterateur Indira Goswami has been conferred with the Netherlands' prestigious Principal Prince Claus Award for her work in Indian culture and its development, but the writer is all the more...
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The National Federation for New States (NFNS) and Movement Groups from different parts of India demanded immediate amicable solutions to all pending demands for new states across the country and held...
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GUWAHATI, Sep 8: The North East Table Tennis Fourm, in collaboration with the Meghalaya Table Tennis Association, will host the India Cup Table Tennis Championship at Shillong from October 9. All top...
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Journalists’ Forum Assam (JFA) appreciates the initiatives taken by the apex court of the country for providing due benefits to the media employees belonged to all newspapers & news-agencies...
Goalpara district had a narrow escape from a major explosion when security forces intercepted at least 10 kg of RDX from three hardcore ULFA militants on Saturday. According to police, identified as Gokul Lahan, Ganesh Lahan and Dijen Buragohain, the hardcore ULFA ultras entered the district on Friday with explosives for engaging in subversive activities. They were nabbed them from Dhekialuci area in the wee hours and RDX was recovered from them. The arrested ultras admitted they were planning subversive activities in the district.
An uneasy situation is simmering in Karimganj a day after Borkhola MLA Rumi Nath and her second husband Zeki Zerir were beaten up by a mob of around 100 people. The incident took place at a hotel in Karimganj on Friday night. The duo visited Karimganj to meet the MLA’s father for the first time after she got married to her facebook friend. All of a sudden, a mob of 100 people storm the hotel and beat up them till policemen disperse the irate mob.
Then the couple were rushed to Silchar Medical College Hospital. On Saturday, they came to Dispur. Hundreds of her supporters blocked the vital roads in the entire district in several places in protest against the incident. The protesters...
ULFA’s pro talk team on Friday sought Centr’s help to bring back its general secretary Anup Chetia, who is in a Dhaka jail. They also sought the Centre's nod to travel to Bangladesh to meet the jailed colleague. They raised the demand when the ULFA delegation led by Arabinda Rajkhowa held fifth round of peace talks with Union home secretary RK Singh in Delhi on Friday. Apart from peace, the meeting discussed flood, immigration and cultural identity issues in presence of peace interlocutor PC Haldar
Electronic Media Forum Assam (EMFA) has planned for a three day long television journalism workshop in Guwahati during October. The workshop, where the news channel editors and senior journalists are set to attend as resource persons, will be open to all media persons belonging to both television and print media.
EMFA, in a meeting at Guwahati Press Club on Friday, has also decided to organize a regular interactive programme with television media personalities for the benefit of its members. Moreover, the forum will take initiative to send its members for study tours inside and outside the country.
The meeting also expanded the executive body of EMFA with inclusion of two members from...
Congress president Sonia Gandhi will be on a day long visit Assam next week to take stock of the flood situation that rendered lakhs of people homeless. Conforming this in New Delhi on Friday, Assam Pradesh Congress Committee president Bhubaneswar Kalita said that he appraised Gandhi of the entire scene where she expressed her willingness to visit the state soon.But the Congress president has not fixed her date. Congress president is likely to pay an aerial visit to all the flood-affected areas in Assam.
The Centre and ULFA’s pro-talk faction discussed several problems confronting Assam when they held the fifth rounds of peace talks in New Delhi on Friday. Led by ULFA chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa, the eight member delegation met with Union home secretary RK Singh along with several other Assam government officials in presence of peace interlocutor PC Haldar.
Later talking to reporters, Singh and Rajkhowa said that the talks were fruitful and that they would carry forward the bid to buy permanent peace in Assam. Both sides discussed ground rules for ceasefire agreement, surrender of arms and ammunition and total halt of operations by security forces against the pro-talk faction....
Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio on Friday Dispur’s intervention for safe release two Naga people kidnapped by KPLT on June 10 in Karbi Anglong. In a letter written to his Assam counterpart Tarun Gogoi, Rio said that there had not been any breakthrough for safe release of the two Nagas. KPLT militants kidnapped two Naga people, identified as Kelesel Kikhi and Khroviho Kikhi from Viswema village under Kohima district, along with a few other workers from a power project site in Karbi Anglong district.
Caught in brimful misery, forest officials in the flood-hit Kaziranga national park have been trying their best to save wildlife severely after the entire sanctuary came under the flash flood. According to Kaziranga National Park authorities, about 80 per cent of the park falling in Golaghat district have been submerged. Same it is in the Pabitora wildlife sanctuary in Morigaon district. Flood waters have not spared the Manas National Park located in Barpeta district. The animals have shifted to the highlands to get rid of the devastating floods that wreaked havoc in the entire state.
IAF helicopter pilots from Mohanbari airbase in Dibrugarh managed to evacuated eight people who were trapped in strong flood waters. These include three pregnant women and two accompanying doctors, from their stranded boat stuck in Dibong river near Sadiya in Tinsukia district.
According to IAF, the IAF crew navigated to the stranded boat and the pilot lowered the helicopter wheels to barely touch the nearby soft ground by holding on to the collective control, which requires consummate piloting skills.
Sivasagar district claiming at least eleven people within a period of 17 days. According to district health and family welfare officials, the victims hail from 5 in Geleki, Patsaku and Morabazar area. The health and family welfare department officials have collected around 50,000 blood samples to confirm the outbreak.
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