[Assam] Call for new approach on NE cultural issues (The Assam Tribune, 11.01.2008)

[Buljit Buragohain]

              Call for new approach on NE cultural issues
By A Staff Reporter
 GUWAHATI, Jan 10 – People of the North-eastern region today need a new approach to solve the cultural problems bogging down their spirits. For, the people of this region are now passing through an age of foolishness. The cultures and civilisations these people developed through the ages have been dying without there being any consciousness among these people.

This was the thought that dominated the inaugural session of the international meet organised by the Friends of Assam and Seven Sisters (FASS) held at the Uzanbazar Vivekananda Kendra Institute of Culture here today.

It needs mention here that the FASS is a non-profit making welfare organisation engaged in creating a development- friendly atmosphere in the NE region. 

It has its international headquarters in the USA and the Indian headquarters in the city. It has about 300 members abroad and they are mostly the NRIs of NE origin spread over the US, United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Austria, Singapore and Thailand. Most of them are engaged in the technology and healthcare sectors. 

Addressing the session, FASS Chairman and Managing Director Rajen Barua, a US-based technocrat of Assam origin, set the tone saying that the fate of the NE people would be determined by their approach towards the poser whether they would choose the path of independent thinking and determine their culture and economy on their own with an approach that had an inclination towards their region.

He said that since the arrival of the British colonialists, the process of assimilation that was initiated by the leaders like Sukafa and Sankardev started getting affected.

Since then, a reliance on the West has been dominating the psyche of these people so far as development is considered. Delhi, Kolkata and other areas of the Aryan dominance have been dominating our cultural approaches. 

It should redesign its relation with the Central Government accordingly in a true democratic spirit. It may raise its own peacekeeping force and may also take the help of the world community and organise its own engineers staying abroad for finding out a solution to the problem of flood. It may go for its own scheme for developmental etc, he said.

Barua also laid stress on keeping intact the special qualities of the Assamese language using the Roman script. Assamese is a language, which, unlike most of the Indian languages, does not have its origin rooted in Sanskrit, he said.

Noted philologist Prof Golok Chandra Goswami, who was conferred the Bhasa Guru title in the function for his dedication and achievement in the field, said that if the people of Assam did not commit suicide collectively, Assamese language would continue to thrive.

He expressed his happiness over the efforts made by the foreign-based engineers of Assam origin to preserve Assamese language and literature by applying software technology and described such efforts as welcome ones for the people of the State.

US-based computer engineer Ankur Bora, who is also the Executive Vice-Chairman of the FASS, presented a story told in Assamese using software technology. He also said that some of the Assam schools were helped by the FASS and it was the wish of the FASS to go beyond financial assistance in helping such institutions.

Speaking on the occasion, noted litterateur Dr Nagen Saikia said that the region needed a cultural movement to remove the mutual distrust and confusion that had been gripping the minds of its peoples.

The FASS also announced support to the online dictionary project of city-based youth Anil Baruah. His online dictionary, along with the online dictionary Sabda.org developed by an Abu Dhabi based engineer of Assam origin, was displayed in the function. NRI Rupesh Saikia also displayed his flash cards developed to impart lessons in Assamese language , in the function.

Lord Adam Hafejee Patel of Blockhurn, House of Lords, UK, and several NRIs of NE-origin addressed the afternoon session of the meet.
          (The Assam Tribune,11.01. 2008)



       
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