Skip to content Skip to navigation

Dr. Audrey Cantlie: Her sweet memory of Assam and The Assamese

“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.

by Rini Kakati

Comments

Utpal Hazarika's picture

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

Pages

Add new comment

Assamese Translator

Assam Times seeks English to Assamese translators!
Join our volunteer team.
Email editor@assamtimes.org.

Random Stories

Haflong girl enters Miss India final round

24 Mar 2015 - 8:08pm | nandadewan
Rewati Chetri, a next door Gorkha girl from Assam’s ‘Ant Hill’  Haflong convent educated  LLB student of NEF Law College of Guwahati made it into Top 21 finalist of Miss India 2015. ...

Awareness programme on climate change

8 May 2009 - 11:50am | bibharani
In a bid to sensitize young people on issues like climate change Youth Alliance for Climate (YAC) organised a popular talk on climate change at GODWINS English School at Sarusajai on 8th May for the...

Students stage dharna demanding action on drug abuse

12 May 2016 - 8:53pm | AT Kokrajhar Bureau
Students from greater Joypur area in Kokrajhar staged dharna demanding action to curtail drugs abuse in the society. Students gathered to stage dharna at Joypur bazaar along the JD Road in Kokrajhar...

Let GST reduce cancer risk

10 Nov 2017 - 5:19pm | Amarjyoti Borah
Doctors and bidi victims welcomed the decision to categorize all tobacco products including bidis as demerit goods, taxing them at the highest tax rate at 28% under GST. Taxing bidis, cigarettes and...

Other Contents by Author

Hundreds of pro talk NDFB leaders took out a huge bike rally in Kokrajhar on Thursday demanding safety and security for tribal people in the BTAD areas. The rally was flagged off by Peoples Joint Action Committee convener Zebraram Moosahary which received overwhelming support support from the various organizations including NDFB, Adivasi Cobra Military, Joint Action Committee for Bodoland Movement, Ex-BLT and UPDF. The protesters demanded expulsion of outsiders from the tribal belts.
Uncertainty is over. Efforts are on to rehabilitate the Bengali-speaking Muslims in BTAD areas from October 19. The district administrations in BTAD areas have scanned 19,632 families to be rehabilitate which has got seal of approval from the ministerial panel set up to deal with the problem. Altogether 19,632 families of these people from Kokrajhar and Chirang districts have been found to be genuine land owners in the BTAD after scrutiny of their land documents.
Secretary of the Green Guard Nature Organization, Rituraj Phukan is all set for the International Antarctic Expedition. Scheduled for the 28th of February 2013, the 14 day expedition will be lead by Robert Swan- the first man to walk to both the North Pole and the South Pole and recipient of the OBE honor from Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain and the 2041 team. In recent years, global warming and climate change due to unplanned human development activities has emerged as a major threat to the two polar areas of the globe. Rising temperatures and change in climatic conditions has adversely effected global biodiversity and threatened the existence of innumerable species of plant...
Eminent lawyer and politician Bedabrata Barua will attend the Guest of the Month programme of Guwahati Press Club on Wednesday, October 10. The programme will begin at 1 pm. Member-journalists are requested to participate in the interactive session. Brief Bio-data of Bedabrata Barua: Born on 13 .07.1928 Passed Matriculation Examination from Calcutta University -1945 (Second in Assam) B.A. Hons from Presidency College, Calcutta- 1949 M A (Politics ) Calcutta University- 1951 and L L B -1952 Joined D R College Golaghat -1951 Elected to Lok Sabha from Kaliabar Parliamentary Constituency 1967 (again in 1971...
The Gauhati High Court has given Centre and Assam government four weeks to apprise it of the steps taken to check rhino poaching in Kaziranga. Taking up a suo-moto cognizance of reports on unabated rhino poaching in the world heritage site, a divisional bench of Chief Justice A.K. Goel and Justice N.K. Singh issued notices to the government to come out with an affidavit on it. The court has also asked the respondents to file the affidavits within four weeks.
Animal experts are camping at Rani Chapri in the outskirt of Guwahati to monitor a rhinoceros strayed out of Pabitora wildlife sanctuary last week. According to the 17 member team, the rhinoceros is fit to be airlifted. A IAF chopper has been deployed to provide food to the animal. The rhino from the Pabitora wildlife sanctuary strayed out of the Park on September 29 and was washed away in flood water as it reached the waterbody. It would be airlifted as soon as the weather improves.
Two businessmen were killed and 29 others have been injured when a truck skidded off the road in Sonitpur district on Saturday. The mishap took place at Narayanpur when a goods truck carrying 30 people on board coming from the Hugrajuli weekly market skidded off the National Highway 52 at around 9-30 at night. Two died on the spot and 25 others have been injured. The condition of 11 people is stated to be serious. They were admitted to the Tezpur Kanaklata Civil Hospital.
Mizoram will allow at least 300 workers from Assam to work without inner line permit to ease the simmering tension along Assam-Mizoram inster state border. The Mizoram government has planned to prepare a set of rules jointly with Assam to ease the tension that resulted in a paralyzing blockade. The 'job registrar will have 300 names of workers from Cachar district to be prepared after verifying the citizenship of the workers by Cachar administration and police.
Police have apprehended five youths in connection with the Agiathuri shoot out near Guwahati in which a gaon panchayat official was shot at and money looted on Friday. Four persons were nabbed on Friday and that the fifth on was nabbed on Saturday and his motorcycle was seized. Notably, seven youths had fired upon Mokibur Ali at Agiathuri area after they had withdrawn Rs 2.60 lakh from a bank and were on way to Guwahati on Friday.
Assam on Friday confirms dengue outbreak. According to official sources, the death of a school student at a private hospital on Thursday was due to dengue. The victim was identified as Anisha Singh of Gotanagar died in a private hospital in Guwahati. Out of 19 dengue cases across the state in recent months, 16 cases were reported in Guwahati. Officials said that the only way to control dengue is to keep the surroundings clean.