“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
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Normal life comes to a grinding halt following the 12 hour statewide Assam+bandh call on Saturday. With this bandh call which paralyed normal life, Ulfa greets Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who is...
Security forces claimed to have killed a hardcore ULFA man during an encounter in Goalpara district on Monday. The encounter took place at Krishnai bordering Meghalaya in the wee hours when police launched an operation against the ULFA men who have been hiding in the area. Identified as Ruhit Rabha, the ULFA militant died on the spot while four others managed to flee from the spot. Later, police recovered some arms and ammunition from the spot. Operation is on to trace the four other militants.
The stage is set. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will visit Kokrajhar, Chirang and Dhubri on Tuesday. The AICC general secretary is likely to be accompanied by Digvijay Singh. Taling to assamtimes, APCC officials informed that Gandhi will visit some of the areas of the Kokrajhar, Dhubri and Chirang on Tuesday to take stock of the relief and rehabilitation measuresadopted by the state government for the violence hit people in the three districts.
A beefed up security scenario on Saturday failed to avert a powerful grenade explosion in Guwahati where a CRPF jawan lost his life and at least ten others, mostly CRPF jawans injured in Platanbazar. The deceased CRPF jawans was identified as Bhawani Singh who succumbed to injuries on the way to the GMCH. The injured have been rushed to the GMCH for treatment. They have been identified as Rajnil Gandhi, Bori Tanti, Ashok Khandakar, Babu Das, Dilip Kumar Sarma, Demsa Devi, Saheda Begum, Manoj Kumar, Upar Singh, Rinki Sarma, Umanath Sahani.
Trouble brews for a cabinet minister a few days after the prime accused of a sensation massacre was found dead. Seven local organizations on Saturday asked Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi to drop cabinet minister Akon Bora who, they alleged, was involved in the massacre in Jugdal two years back. Talking to reporters these local organizations alleged that the prime accused Arjun Bordoloi was killed by Bora only to destroy the evidence of his involvement in the Jugdal case.
Rahul Gandhi is scheduled to visit the trouble hit Kokrajhar, Chirang and Dhubri districts on Tuesday. According to APCC, Gandhi would be accompanied by Digvijay Singh. Gandhi will visit some of the areas of the Kokrajhar, Dhubri and Chirang on Tuesday to take stock of the relief and rehabilitation measures.
Despite round-the-clock-vigil, miscreants time and again have been targeting Guwahati in the form of bomb explosion. A CRPF jawans was killed and nine others have been injured when suspected ULFA militants exploded a powerful grenade in the city on Saturday. The explosion took place at around 7-45 in the evening with a sound near the Paltanbazar police station where at least people, mostly CRPF jawans injured. One of them succumbed to his injuries on the way to GMCH.
The third special train to Bangalore is likely to leave Guwahati on Sep 20 to facilitate the return of those who had fled Bangalore and some other south Indian cities last month after rumours of attacks on people from the northeast. The state government will pay the cost of train tickets for those who are willing to return. According to the Northeast Frontier Railway, the notification is expected in a day or two.
The Assam government had also directed the Transport Secretary to issue instructions to all the Deputy Commissioners in the state to register the details of the people who inquire about the special train Sep 20 through the helpline created by the state government.
The second Bangalore bound special train will leave Guwahati on Saturday. The train is expected to carry over 1000 north east people back to the southern city who arrived in Guwahati fearing attack. Passengers can board the train only from Guwahati, Kamakhya, Rangia, New Bongaigaon and Kokrajhar railway stations. The passengers, who board the Bangalore special Saturday, will also get their tickets reimbursed.
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The entire state erupts in an all out drive against Bangladeshi immigrants after the influx awareness drive. Local residents in Sivasagar district have apprehended five suspected immigrants and handed them over to police on Friday. They were held at Namtola near Sonari in the wee hours and later were handed over to police. Local residents have claimed that they had no convincing evidence.Earliar on Thursday evening local residents in Seleng near Moriani in Jorhat district held to immigrants while 5 others managed to escape.
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