“My father Sir Keith Cantlie served in the Indian Civil Service from 1910 till his retirement in 1947. So, in a way I consider myself daughter of Assam, a land of outstanding natural beauty with distant views of the snow and Himalayas”
With her disarming smile simple down to earth and smiling manner the bespectacled Dr. Audrey Cantlie welcomes you with a big smile at her door at Oxford street as if somebody of her own. She has an emotional bond for Assam and the Assamese people.
I still remember the day I met her sometime in September, 1998 at SOAS (School of Oriental and African Studies, London) I introduce myself as an Assamese I could see the sparkle in her eyes: said to me "How many Assamese people are in London? I love to meet them". Dr. Audrey Cantlie was born in Shillong in 1923. She spent her six years in Jorhat where her father was Deputy Commissioner. So, in some ways she consider herself a daughter of Assam.
After taking a degree in Sociology at the London School of Economics, she returned to Assam for fieldwork and carried out a study of a village near Jorhat, which was later published under the title of ‘The Assamese’. It is perhaps the only intensive work done in the plains of Assam and I like to think of it as a small contribution to understanding a unique way of life and, more particularly, the religion founded by Sankardeva.
After working on the staff at the London School of Economics. She moved to the School of Oriental and African Studies where I still teach part-time to the present day.
Few weeks after we have organized the 550th Sankar Jayanti at Wembley when we invited her as our chief guest. The speech she delivered about Sankardev was so informative. Since then Dr. Cantlie always shares every Assamese Community function in London. Her guidance and support is very valuable to me at my work in a women oriented matter.
From studying, Sociology at the London School of Economics and to teach at (School of Oriental and African Studies. Her beautiful past as an Assamese is still in her mind. She wrote “The Assamese” dedicated to the memory of her father Sir Keith Cantlie who served 40 years in the state of Assam. How beautifully she expressed the qualities of Assamese people in this book.
Call her a professor, teacher, academician for rest of our Assamese society in London she is just our “Cantlie baidew”
During her stay at Guwahati, we have organised an interactive session with teachers, academicians, journalists and students at Sudmersen Hall, Cotton College on Wednesday 13 February, 2008 at 4:00pm.
PermalinkSubmitted by Utpal Hazarika on Sun, 16/11/2008 - 01:32
I am from BANI MANDIR, a publication house from Assam since 1949. Many people want to buy this book, but due to the price 99% people cannot effort. If I get the publication right I can reprint the in Indian cheaper price and most of the people can buy and can preserve the book. I tried with the author but could not contact. Can anybody passon this message to the author of the this book.Thanks.
Utpal Hazarika
banimandir@gmail.com
Normal life remained totally paralysed amid sporadic incidents of violence during the 12-hour bandh called by Karbi Students' Youth Council in Karbi Anglong district on Saturday. Bandh supporters set on fire a truck carrying oil in drums in the Diphu-Lumding road this afternoon after forcing the driver and handyman to get down. Shops and business establishments remained closed and vehicular traffic was minimal. KSYC gave the bandh call in protest against alleged encroachment by Meghalaya. They alleged that Meghalaya government has set up police posts and schools in land belonging to Assam.
Tension prevails along Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border in Sonitpur on Saturday forcing the authorities to beef up security in a huge area. The incident took place when a huge group of people belonging to Arunachal Pradesh damaged at least 12 houses and a temple at Bogijuli in the wee hours. Police said a group of about 250 people allegedly from East Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh also took away a number of cattle and other livestock. Police from Bishwanath Chariali rushed to the remote spot located along the boundary between the two states where the situation was now stated to be under control. Locals of the area alleged that the miscreants had occupied agricultural land in Bogijuli.
Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi has come down heavily on Team Anna alleging baseless charges against Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh. During his visit to Indian Wood Technology Institute in Bangaluru, he said probe cannot be ordered on the basis of such allegations. Talking to reporters in Bangaluru, Gogoi termed Team Anna's action in targetting Singh as an attempt to tarnish the image of the prime minister and said such attempts are unacceptable.
Three poachers had a narrow escape when they were locked at an encounter with forest guards in Pobitora wild life sanctuary on Friday.The shootout took place between forest guards and poachers from Nagaland inside Pabitora wildlife sanctuary in Morigaon district in the wee hours.The poachers from Nagaland entered the Diplung forest range inside the sanctuary. The alert guards sighted the poachers and there was exchange of fire following which one of them managed to escape and three were nabbed.
Assam is all set to implement a Rs 35.38 crore project to boost organic farming in the state. The state has already set up a four-member committee to ensure it.According to official sources, as part of the programme, a substantial area under each of the 126 assembly constituencies would be brought under different organic crops, mostly vegetables, fruits and rice.A four-member committee has been formed for the purpose which is studying various aspects of organic farming, including soil quality testing. The Rs 35.38-crore project, to be implemented in three yearly phases, will involve and benefit 12,600 farmers.
Three prominent tea growers' bodies have sought power minister Pradyut Bordoloi's intervention over the halt in tea production in five districts of Assam.The production came to a halt on Thursday in Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, Sibsagar, Jorhat and Golaghat following non-supply of gas by the Assam Gas Co Ltd to the tea estates. Most tea factories in the five districts, which also account for about 45 percent of the total tea factories of Assam, run their Dryers and Weathering Troughs on gas supplied by AGCL.The gas supply has been disrupted due to a 72-hour blockade by Assam Tea Tribes Students' Association (ATTSA) demanding a Rs.100 crore package from the company for the development of tea...
Sonari MLA and former minister Sarat Borkotoky has been appointed as the deputy chairman of the state planning board. Borkotoky, who held the post till 2011 will be accorded cabinet rank.Same status is applicable for Dinesh Prasad Gowala who has been appointed as the Housefed chairman. Amiya Gogoi retains the stint of Assam Gas Company chairperson while Rihon Daimary has been appointed as chairman of state warehousing corporation.Former minister Pramila Rani Brahma has been appointed as the Artfed chairperson while Etwa Munda has been appointed as state small scale industrial development board. Teok MLA Membor Gogoi has been appointed as the chairman with Assam state Agriculture Marketing...
Bangalore would soon as Assam Bhawan soon. Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi is scheduled to inspect the site for the Assam Bhawan in Bnagalore on Saturday.Gogoi, who left for New Delhi on Wednesday, visited the woods science and technology institute in Bangalore on Friday. He was impressed with its campus and training during his visit. Director SP Joshi gave him the power point projection during his visit.
An awareness programme on Cancer and Tobacco on the occasion of “No Tobacco Day” at Parijat Academy, Organised was organised on Thursday by North East Cancer Hospital and Research Institute. Dr Githartha Roymedhi from the institute explained in details about Cancer and the tobacco‘s impact to the school children and teacher of Parijat Academy. Children. The aim of the programme was to make aware about the Cancer and Tobacco affaects and others produts like gutkha etc.
The Assam Assembly Speaker Pranab Gogoi on Thursday asked additional chief secretary PK Chaudhury to probe into the physical assault on PAC member Prasanta Phukan on Tuesday. Gogoi has asked the additional chief secretary to submit the report within a period of ten days saying that the persons involved in the incident would be given exemplary punishment. Notably, Phukan was physically assaulted by a group of four miscreants at the Nagaon Circuit House after he made an on the spot enquiry on some agriculture projects.
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