“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 paralyzed following ULFA’s state-wide bandh call in protest against prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh’s visit on Friday. The bandh was by and large peaceful. There was no report of any untoward incident during this total bandh.
The statewide-bandh began at 6 on Friday morning across the state. Roads in Guwahati wore a deserted look. Shops and markets, schools and colleges remained closed throughout the day. The government offices witnessed thin attendance. This was what the scenario on Friday in Nagaon, Jorhat, Dibrugarh, Tinsukia, Tezpur.
Flood and erosion, mega dam deadlock and Doubtful voters’ were among the crucial issues that came up for discussion in the cabinet meeting prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh convened at the Raj Bhawan in the afternoon on Friday. The prime minister asked the cabinet to proceed with the mega dam deal despite the storm of protest. After attending the cabinet meeting, Dr Singh left for New Delhi.
Steadfast in its commitment to safeguard the health of its citizens from the menace of chewing tobacco products, the Government of Madhya Pradesh from April 1, 2012 onwards has banned the sale and manufacture of products like Gutka, Khaini...
ASHA (Accredited Social Health Activist) a trained female community health activist selected for every village with a population of 1000 is one of the key strategies under the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM). ASHA selected from the village itself remains accountable to the local community. ASHA’s are required to undergone a total period of 23 days training in five episodes to work as an interface between the community and the public health system. However, it is clarified that ASHA training is a continuous one and that she will be developed the necessary skills...
Security forces found a powerful Improvised Explosive Device from railway tracks in Chirang district on the eve of ULFA’s 12-hour Assam Bandh call.
Weighing 3 kgs, two detonators and some fused wire were recovered at Maneswari near Bijni railway station during routine patrolling by a joint team of the police and army personnel.
The security forces have cordoned off the area and the IED defused. Train services have been temporarily halted in the section as security personnel launched a massive combing operation in the area to detect whether any more explosives have been planted or not.
Meanwhile, security along the railway tracks have been tightened with several trains...
Chief justice with Punjab and Haryana high court Ranjan Gogoi is set to be sworn in as Supreme Court Judge on Friday.
The high court has already received warrants regarding elevation of justice Gogoi as the apex court judge. The decks were cleared after the Supreme Court collegiums approved Justice Gogoi's name last month. Hailing from Dibrugarh district, Gogoi, the son of former chief minister Keshab Gogoi, started legal practice in 1978 in Guwahati high court and was appointed as permanent judge of that court in February 2001.
He was transferred to Punjab and Haryana high court on September 9, 2010, and later elevated as chief justice on February 12 last year after the post fell...
The heavy presence of security forces seems to have failed to bail out Guwahati from the criminals who continue to unleash terror in the city.
A businessman sustained bullet injury when armed miscreants sprang upon him to loot money near Dispur on Wednesday night.
The incident took place at 10 at night at Hatigaon when businessman Vikram Chaurasia and his son were on their residence from Ganesguri. The shoot out took place when the miscreants looted money from him.
Later police officials arrived in the scene but the miscreants managed to disappear from the spot. Police called it an incident to dacoity.
A rhino calf continues to unleashe panic in Sarbhog on Thursday leaving at least ten persons injured during the last 24 hours.
Angry local residents gheraoed the nearest police station, alleging inaction to push back the rhino who has already injured a few forest guards. The
calf recently got separated from its mother, strayed out of Manas National Park and stormed in to human habitations.
Forest authorities said that efforts were on to chase the rhino from areas of human habitation into the forest. A section of local residents on Thursday came to see the rhino swimming in the nearby Beki river.
One person died and several others have been injured when a hailstorm lashed Sonari in Sivasagar district on Thursday.
It was at in the wee hours on Thursday when severe hailstorm ravaged a huge area of Charideo subdivision when hundreds of houses collapsed. The deceased was identified as Kunda Singh who was killed when his house collapsed on him when he was in deep sleep.
Surface communication has been totally disrupted when hundreds of trees and electric posts fell on the roads. The injured people have been rushed to the hospital.
One person died and several others have been injured when a hailstorm lashed Sonari in Sivasagar district on Thursday.
It was at in the wee hours on Thursday when severe hailstorm ravaged a huge area of Charideo subdivision when hundreds of houses collapsed. The deceased was identified as Kunda Singh who was killed when his house collapsed on him when he was in deep sleep.
Surface communication has been totally disrupted when hundreds of trees and electric posts fell on the roads. The injured people have been rushed to the hospital.
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