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.
Hundreds of Northeast people are back to the southern cities to resume work a few days after they got the real story of rumour. Three special trains have been deployed in Guwahati for Bangalore to meet the rush. The overall situation is under control and this comes two days after three special trains left for Bangalore from Guwahati on Sunday taking back those who had fled the capital of Karnataka fearing attacks on them. The situation eased on Monday.
A seven member central team on Tuesday visited the violence-hit Dhubri and took stock of the ground situation in the entire areas. Led by joint secretary of home ministry for north east Shambhu Singh, the team of senior officials is scheduled to visit Kokrajhar on Wednesday and Chirang district on Thursday.
The officials talked to the district administration as well as the relief camp inmates. The team visited relief camps at Barkanda People's Academy, Maspara LP School, Indranarayan Academy and Bilasipara College and interacted with the people at the camp.
The Railways announced an ex-gratia of Rs 15,000 each to the family of two passengers who died in the NJP incident where the victims were thrown out of a Guwahati bound train in West Bengal. The kin of the passengers who were residents of Hailakandi district in Assam will be given an ex-gratia of Rs 15,000 each.
Four injured passengers all having confirmed tickets for journey up to Guwahati will get an ex-gratia of Rs 5,000 each. The seven other injured passengers will get an ex-gratia of Rs 500 each.
ULFA’s pro-talk faction called it an unfortunate one. In a statement, the outfit’s publicity secretary Mithinga Daimary said that Sarania played an important role in striking the peace deal with the government. Daimary further said that they would probe the allegations and that if found guilty, he would have to face the stern action.
NDRF team on Tuesday launched an operation on the river Brahmaputra in Kharghuli area to recover the bodies of Binit Jain and his servant. The operation was launched on the basis of confessional statements by Sarania and his aides who dumped the bodies on the river.
Some startling revelations seem to have surfaced when police raided a camp where top ULFA leader Hira Sarania stayed till he was arrested from Nalbari on Monday. A team of city police on Tuesday morning raided his designated camp and seizes an AK-56 rifle, 30 rounds of bullets and 12 lakh rupees in cash.
A lower court on Tuesday sent Hira Sarania to police custody for 6 days a day after he was arrested on murder and robbery charges by Guwahati police. He was remanded to police custody after he was produced before the chief judicial magistrate on Tuesday.
One more Assamese youth was found dead in Hyderabad on Monday. Identified as Sanjeev Sinha, the body was recovered near a railway station in the morning. He hailed from Lakhipur in Cachar district and was on his way to home following rumours of impending attack.
ULFA’s anti-talk faction slammed chief minister Tarun Gogoi for his claim that Assam has not even a single immigrant. In a statement sent to media on Monday, the outfit’s chairman Abhijeet Asom said that the Centre was responsible for the large scale influx from across the Indo-Bangla border. He further alleged that AIUDF president Badruddin Ajmal has been trying to create a communal divide in the state.
ULFA’s anti-talk faction has blamed immigration migration from across the Indo-Bangladesh border for the crisis that cripples the state. In a statement, the outfit blamed Centre’s apathy in protecting the Assamese working in the southern cities. Ulfa chairman Abhijeet Asom expressed concern over the worsening situation in BTAD areas and Dhubri. It further said that they won’t allow any immigrant to destroy the future of the indigenous people of Assam.
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