“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
Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi Gogoi asked his ministers and officials to prepare district-level plans to deal with the draught-like situation in the state.
The instruction came up when Gogoi held a meeting of senior members of his ministry to deal with the drought-like situation in Assam. He stressed the need for taking water conservation efforts in all commercial and residential areas in view of the lack of proper rainfall.
The meeting was attended by Labour Minister Prithibhi Majhi, Agriculture Minister Nilamoni Sen Deka, Environment and Forest Minister Rokcybul Hussain, PWD Minister Ajanta Neog, Water Resources Minister Rajib Lochan Pegu.
Education minister Dr Himanta Biswa has been included in the 10-member committee set up by the Centre to give shape to the government's ambitious plan to roll out community colleges in the country from the 2013 academic session.
To be headed by Madhya Pradesh School Education Minister Archana Chitnis, the team will submit its report within two months, spelling out the concept and arriving at an appropriate milestones for its launch. The panel could also undertake a trip to the US.
Other members include Brij Mohan Agrawal, P K Shahi, Sikander Singh Malooka and Abdul Gani Malik, Daya Ram Parmar, P Palaniappan and Rajesh A Tope. Joint secretary in HRD Ministry A K Singh would be the...
Defence laboratory unit in Assam is currently focussing the research and development studies on Nanotechnology, Agro biodefence, herbal medicines and identification of malaria-risk zones.According to information, as part of the year-long golden jubilee celebration several programmes have been chalked out which include orations, national seminar, peace expedition, quiz competition among school children, health and hygiene awareness camps.The Defence Research Laboratory was set up after the 1962 Chinese aggression to address the problems faced by troops in forward areas, is celebrating its golden jubilee.
Police arrested two persons on their way to Kaziranga National Park, along with arms and ammunition have been arrested in Assam's Jorhat district.
The duo, who were travelling on a motorcycle, were arrested during a routine check at Jorhat Bye-pass on National Highway-37 on Monday midnight and a rifle, a magazine, 12 rounds of live cartridges, a silencer and mobile phones have been recovered from their possession.
Identified as Bishnu Pegu and Nagen Pegu, they were on the way to Kaziranga National Park (KNP) after procuring arms and ammunition from Nagaland. They have been booked under Arms Act and Wild Life Protection Act.
Assam water resources department has accepted a proposal to implement an indigenously developed cost effective anti-erosion technology using plastic nets. The technology was developed under the guidance of Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati, and a pilot project was carried out in 2007-10 under the sponsorship of North Eastern Development Finance Corporation.
According to Polygon Foundation General Secretary D Hazarika, the technology relies on the use of plastic nets tied to concrete blocks fitted into the soil near river banks to check erosion. He said they proposed to use the technology for anti-erosion measures in some of Brahmaputra's tributaries like Jiyabharali and...
Dilemma over selection of the Chef de Mission of the Indian Contingent for the London Olympic for last few months ended on Monady as the selection committee of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has named Olympian Ajit Pal Singh for this post. The IOA constituted a seven member panel to decide on this subject unable to come to conclusion between vice-President IOA Tarlochan Singh and the President of Indian Weightlifting Federation Birendra Prasad Baishya. With an unexpected step IOA has decided to appoint the captain of the hockey team that won the World Cup in 1975, and keep both Tarlochan Singh and B P Baiahya as observer. There will be three observers for Indian delegation to London...
Veteran civil rights activist P V Rajagopal on Sunday urged Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi to take steps in land reform in the state at an earlier date.
Talking to reporters in Guwahati he said that it was urgent to work for land reform by Gogoi as he was a member of the National Land Reforms Commission. Rajagopal, also a member of ofthe NLRC, is now in Guwahati as part of a nationwide land rights yatra. He said that not a single meeting of NLRC was held in the past five years.
A hardcore anti-talk ULFA cadre was killed at an encounter with security forces on Sunday in Tinsukia district. But the banned insurgent outfit has denied death of any cadre in the encounter.
Sunday’s encounter took place at Dikak Sonjan in the afternoon. The incident took place when policemen on checking duties on the street asked a group of ULFAmen to halt when they were riding on a Tata Sumo.
One of the armed cadres started firing at the police team. When police retaliated, the armed youth died on the spot. Police seized a pistol from the vehicle inside the vehicle. Meanwhile, ULFA has denied any encounter with security forces in Tinsukia district.
Two policemen were injured when ULFA militants triggered a powerful grenade at Doomdooma in Tinsukia district on Saturday.
The incident took place when a group of security personnel went to Doomdooma market at night and found a suspicious packet at a vegetable shop. The beg exploded with a huge sound when the policemen were inspecting the packet. They were identified as Anil Nath and Prabodh Sonowal. Meanwhile, in an e-mail to the media, ULFA anti-talk faction's publicity department member Joy Asom claimed responsibility for the bomb blast.
ULFA’s anti–talk faction steps up activities a week ahead of their Foundation Day slated for April 7. The outfit claimed to have killed three Assam Rifles jawans at an encounter in Sivasagar district of Assam on Saturday.
But the security forces claimed that a hardcore ULFA cadre belonging to the Paresh Baruah led faction was seriously injured during the encounter with security forces along the Assam-Nagaland border in Sivasagar district. The encounter took place at Takubasti under Charaideo police station bordering Nagaland. The heavy exchange of firing took place in the evening when a five-member group of the outfit opened fire on an Assam Rifles patrol party. A hardcore...
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