My mind towards Assamese Literature was literally like an Axanto Electron. (The electron is a subatomic particle carrying a negative electric charge. It has no known components or substructure. Therefore, the electron is generally thought to be an elementary particle.) Coming from an English medium school I hadn’t read anything Assamese apart from my course work all my life. SKC is responsible for turning it around. Quite late in life, I asked my friend Aporaj to suggest me an Assamese book to read. Prompt came the answer. Suran Medhi’s work. I was like... Who? And why would you suggest reading his books.
Now Aporaj being a calm and composed poet friend as well as an avid reader not to mention, a huge fan of SKC gave me a “prolonged summary” of his work and narrated some of SKC’s book scenes to me. I decided to give it a go. The first story I read was Gulam. My mum, my biggest critique and rock in life after Deuta, saw me reading SKC’s book. A sarcastic smile followed by her saying... Make sure you finish the book. Reading a signboard and completing a book are two different things. Yes it was hard in the beginning and it took me twice the time to read a page in Assamese but then... language is practice. The more you speak and read, the easier it becomes. Maa is also an avid reader of Assamese Literature and I often felt left out when she discussed about her books with her friends. I am still learning and enjoying the richness Assamese Literature has to offer.
I was hooked on SKC. I smuggled Aporaj to Panbazar and instructed him to get me the best SKC’s books and I dutifully carried them back home to London. Manoj Goswami once told me that he requested SKC to write a New Year peice for his then Axomia newspaper. SKC was reluctant and later Eta Bhaal Khobor was on the papers on one new year’s day. Altaf Da made a short film out of it , When I watched it, I was gobsmacked to see the impact, the subtleness and the beauty of narrating a story. A very well made film . I liked the angel Altafda chose for the film. I also liked the fact that SKC was subtle and was thrilled that he used a pseudo name. I write my blogs as Rukmini Boigari. Why? Well why not? It isn’t necessary for people to know you as long as they read what you wrote. A journalist once asked my=e why I chose the name. Rukmini gave from North East and I came from the same part of the world and Boiragi is a surname is secretly loved to have. It sounds like a song. Beautiful. In real life I cannot us it for that became my pseudo name. The fact that SKC writes under different name gave me a kick. Not that I am comparing him with me for that will be preposterous.
Every Time I visit Guwhaati, I am tempted to ask Altaf Da to introduce me to SKC but I shy off the idea and tell myself- Bublee Toi Jugyo Nohoi. You are not worth enough to meet such a persona. But deep in my mind I connected with him and had immense respect for his work. His passing away news came hit me like a bolt out of the blue through his Facebook SKC Fan Group. I was not prepared as I was not aware that he was ailing.
25th June is a very special and private day for me for its that day when my idol and The biggest inspiration in my life, Deuta passed away... four years ago. It is spooky that SKC passed away on the very day day. I felt as though somewhere in ether he connected with me and gave me his blessings which I couldn’t get in flesh and blood. People like him should not be mourned for he will live forever. Eti Londonor Duporiyat,bagisat rod loi moi Apunak shrodhanjali jonalu. Ehaat dobar khelor dore, hothaht apunar dehatu hera kintu apuniye hol Asomor Baputi Sahun.
Indira Goswami (b. 1942, Guwahati, Assam) is an outstanding writer who reveals the lived experience of ordinary people. Her powerful graphic descriptions and haunting images bring to light the centrality of the body in human affairs and the codification of political, religious and cultural systems through the body: the bodily processes of life, the impact of gender and age, and the physicality of poverty, norms and conflicts. Writing in her Assamese mother-tongue, Goswami highlights the diverse cultural context of this remote region. She depicts contemporary political and social dimensions, avoiding romanticism and anthropological tendencies. Her intimate knowledge of community...
In a tragic incident that sent shockwave across the state, the students met a watery grave in the Brahmaputra river on Wednesday while they were taking a bath in Sukreswar Ghat in Guwahati. Two of them were students from the Cotton Collegiate School while the third one is yet to be identified. The bodies have not been recovered so far.All the three persons who were going to bath at the Sukreswar Ghat but could not come back. The strong waves of the mighty river have washed them away. Two of them are Cotton Collegiate School students while the details of the third one have not been received. The student duo have been identified as Labajit Sarma of Narikolbasti and Jyoti Kalita of Noonmati...
A devastating fire that broke out in Dispur has reduced to ashes a part of the Janata Bhawan on Wednesday evening.According to information, the fire broke out at around 6 in the evening from a room and later it was dispersing rapidly to other rooms before taking a ravaging turn. As many as fifty fire tenders have been called to extinguish the fire but by then the the situation was going out of control.According to RTI commissioner Dr B K Gohain, the Right to Information cell has been completely ravged n not even as file has been spared.Moreover, the chambers of Nurjamal Sarkar, law minister Pranab Gogoi, parliament secretries Sarat Saikia, Bidya Singfh Inglng have been reduced to ashes in...
Four Asom Gana Parishad MPs have asked prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh to quit alleging discrimination towards Assam.Addressing a press conference in the city on Wednesday, they said Dr Singh who downplays Assam flood situation has no moral right to represent the state in the Rajya Sabha.Kumar Deepak Das said, a Prime Minister of India should look into all states alike. But it’s unfortunate that Dr Manmohan Singh has been failing in this regard.”The MPs alleged that Dr Singh is showing discriminatory attitude towards Assam and its people. But irony is that he represents this very state in the upper House.“As a Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh has been failing to deliver...
The proposed site for erecting a statue of Rup Konwar Jyoti Prasad Agarwalla being used by illegal settlers at Bharulumukh, in Guwahati as seen on 10/09/2008 as no steps has been taken for years now. Photo: UB Photos
Cutting across party barriers Congress, BJP and AGP had refused to respond to the Speaker's appeal unless the collected fund was divided between Assam and Bihar.Congress MP from Assam Kirip Chaliha will not pay any money for flood relief in Bihar. Addressing a press conference in Guwahati on Monday, Chaliha said he is ready to urge both Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee and Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari to issue an appeal to help Assam flood victims in the same line.Chaliha said, “the Assam MPs are unhappy over the fact that Mr Chatterjee has issued an appeal only for Bihar when similar destruction has taken place in Assam also.”.The MP from Guwahati made it clear that he...
The Gauhati High Court has served notices to education and home departments for failing to probe the allegations of fund embezzlement by an employment of Cachar education department.According to allegation, an employee of the Cachar district education department Subhas Ranjan Majumdar has embezzled an amount of Rs 5,45,333 meant for LTC.It took place in between 1997 to 2001. Further, he has embezzled yet another amount of Rs 23, 24,744 meant for purchase of food for the school children. Acting on these allegations, police registered a case bearing No 231/02 against Majumdar. The anti corruption wing of the Assam police registered a separate case No 4/05. But nothing came out. This has...
The Assam state unit of the CPI has demanded a Rs 1,000 crore fund from the Centre to relief and rehabilitate the state’s flood affected people.Addressing a press conference on Monday, the leaders of the party further have Centre’s intervention for finalization of the master plan to tame the flood and erosion by the river Brahmaputra. CPI leader and MLA Drupad Buragohain said Assam has been deprived of funds required to tide over the flood fury where lakhs of people have been rendered homeless, a vast area of cropland has been damaged and properties worth crores of rupees have been ravaged. The Left leaders in the state further slammed Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh saying...
The over all flood scenario in Assam remains unchanged during the last 15 hours. On Monday morning the water levels of the mighty Brahmaputra showed a receding trend but it did not last long. With a heavy downpour lashing the state on Monday night, the situation again took a grim turn. The Assam government has admitted that the current wave of flood fury is alarming. Lakhs of those marooned in the perennial fury have yet to leave the make-shift camps in the affected areas.According to information, more than 13 lakh people have been reeling under the current flood wave. These include 2,41,884 in Lakhimpur, 16,4,800 in Sonitpur, 25,624 in Dhemaji, 3,44,021 in Morigaon and 61,150 in Dhubri...
Today is September 8, 2008. Assam is celebrating the 83rd birth day of music legendary music maestro Dr Bhupen Hazarika albeit the birthday boy is in Mumbai. Birthday wishes are pouring in for the pride of Assam and Dada Saheb Phalke award winning singer. Several organization on Monday are celebrating the day across the state.A special screening of a documentary film on the life and works of, produced by Surjya Hazarika was held at the auditorium of the Assam Handloom and Textiles department office on Sunday. The documentary film titled Bihangam Drishtit Dr Bhupen Hazarika throws light on the life and works of the Phalke awardee.Many eventful moments of Dr Hazarika’s life have been...
Comments
Pages
Add new comment