“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
Police on Monday arrested the tenth molester involved in the Guwahati incident. Identified Dipak Dey, he was arrested from Hatigaon. Earlier Deva Das was arrested from Guwahati on Monday night.He was arrested hours after the eighth molester was captured at Mukalmuwa in Nalbari district. With this, the number of molesters arrested in this connection has gone up to 9. He was indentified as Rupkanta Kalita. Search operations are on in Guwahati and nearby areas, including Meghalaya where the other three other main accused may have taken refuge.
The National Commission for Women has axed Alka Lamba from the panel set up to probe the Guwahati molestation case. NCW chairperson Mamta Sharma sacked her following a faux pas in which Lamba had revealed the name of the victim at a press conference. A three-member NCW team had visited Guwahati and met the victim on Saturday. They had blamed the police for reacting late in trying to save the girl.
Assam Police on Monday gilled Gauravjyoti Neog in connection with the Guwahati molestation case.According to information, off duty reporter with Newslive was summoned by Bhangagarh police station where he was grilled for several hours. The development took place hours after DGP JN Chaudhury spoke to Union home secretary RK Singh and apprised him of the breakthrough. Police have received flak for alleged delay in taking prompt action to stop crime and in arresting culprits.
Sources said Dispur apprised the Home Ministry of the fact that police was suspecting that TV journalist Gaurav Jyoti Neog might have orchestrated the molestation of the girl by instigating the mob as the prime accused...
Assam police have rushed a high level team to Bhubneswar to nab Amarjyoti Kalita who is understood to have been hiding in Puri. Earlier in the day, Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said the key accused was traced to Bhubaneswar. Talking to reporters in Dispur on Monday, Gogoi said that tracking of his mobile phone has pointed to his presence in Bhubaneswar. Police have announced Rs one lakh cash award for information on the whereabouts of Kalita.
Police on Monday arrested another accused in the molestation of a girl outside a pub here taking the number of those apprehended in the case to eight. Identified as Rupkanta Kalita, he was arrested from Nalbari and search operations are on in Guwahati and nearby areas, including Meghalaya where the other three other main accused may have taken refuge.
Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on Monday met the molestation case victim and promised her more security and monetary relief. He further said that prime accused Amarjyoti Kalita would be arrested soon. Meanwhile, Guwahatti SSP Apurba Jiban Barua was shifted in connection with the incident. Police have already arrested eight people out of the 12 identified persons, who were involved in molesting and stripping the girl in public outside a pub in Guwahati on the night of July 9.
Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on Monday expressed strong displeasure over the role of a local news channel journalist in the molestation case. Talking to reporters outside the Assam assembly on Monday, he called it a case of unethical journalism saying that he should have informed police as soon as possible. He said, "the media blames the government and particularly the police on all accounts, but journalists, too, have responsible role to play in society and in this particular case they have failed miserably."
Probe into the mob attack on MLA Rumi Nath and her second husband Jacky Zakir at Karimganj on June 30 is going on. This was what the government informed the Assam Assembly n Monday. Replying to a question, Forest Minister Rockybul Hussain told the assembly on behalf of Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said that the duo were brought to Guwahati with police escort. The minister was replying to questions on the first day of the assembly session after opposition members raised a furore over the culprits engaged in the attack on Nath in a Karimganj hotel last month.
The National Federation of Newspaper Employees has strongly condemned the attack on Tongam Rina of Arunachal Times on July 15 evening at Itanagar. Media report says that Ms Rina, 33, got bullet injuries at her belly and presently undergoing treatment at Ram Krishna Mission Hospital there.
In a statement issued on Monday by Nava Thakuria, zonal secretary of NFNE argues that the media persons remain vulnerable in Arunachal after Assam. Thakuria urged the State chief minister Nabam Tuki to take stern action against the miscreants such that the journalists can function in a fearless situation.
Following the incident, the members of Arunachal Pradesh Union for Working Journalists and...
Braving incessant rains that lashed the city for several hours, hundreds of people in Guwahati, took out a huge procession to show register their protest and anger against the role of government, police and the media on the recent molestation case. Protesters representing several organizations thronged Dighalipukhuri on Sunday and took out a rally demanding immediate arrest of all the culprits involved in it.
The organization include Nari Nirjatan Aikya Mancha, Nari Mukti Sangram Samiti, Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti, India Against Corruption, Bharat Swabhiman. The protesters were scheduled to meet the National Commission of Women delegation but only to be they refused.
KMSS leader Akhil...
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