[Assam] Creating awareness about Majuli (The Sentinel, 09.07.2012 )

[Buljit Buragohain]

Creating awareness about Majuli 
 

 ‘There is an urgent need for coordination between the State’s 
bureaucrats and the technocrats in solving the erosion problem in 
Majuli’
 
 By our Staff Reporter
 
 GUWAHATI, July 8: An 
international conference on Majuli was held on Sunday at the city’s 
Bishnu Nirmala Bhavan. The objective of the conference was to create 
awareness about Majuli among the masses as well as to help the concerned
 authorities in the World Heritage-related works.
 
 Among several
 prominent speakers, Sanjib Kumar Borkakoty, president, Society for 
Srimanta Sankardeva; Dr Aravind Phukan, retired professor, University of
 Alaska; Narayan Chandra Goswami, xatradhikar, Nutan Kamalabari Xatra; 
Natwar Thakker, a Gandhian; and GSV Suryanarayana Murthy took part in 
the conference.
 
 Most of these speakers stressed the need for 
protection of the river island from the scourge of the mighty 
Brahmaputra and urged the State Government to speed up the process of 
inclusion of Majuli in the World Heritage Sites’ list.
 
 Majuli 
is the cradle of Assamese Vaishnavism, and a cultural and spiritual 
centre of Assam. There are more than 20 neo-Vaishnavite xatras located 
in Majuli. The island is also a bio-diversity hotspot with rich ecology.
 Recently, the Indian Government has proposed to nominate the name of 
Majuli for inclusion in the ‘cultural landscape’ category of the UNESCO 
World Heritage list.
 
 Addressing the gathering, Dr Aravind 
Phukan said that the flood and erosion problem in Majuli could be solved
 through high-technology but expressed his dissatisfaction on the work 
carried out by the Brahmaputra Board for the protection of the river 
island. “We can solve the flood problem in Majuli by digging the 
Brahmaputra’s riverbed. About 50 per cent of Majuli’s land has been lost
 due to massive erosion,” said Phukan, adding, “There is an urgent need 
for coordination between the State’s bureaucrats and the technocrats in 
solving the erosion problem in Majuli.”
 
 Dr Phukan further stated that the embankments constructed in Majuli were not designed properly and of very poor quality.
 

 Other speakers like Narayan Chandra Goswami highlighted the importance 
of Majuli for the people of Assam. “Majuli is a centre of Assamese 
culture and religion. There is an urgent need to protect the river 
island from the fury of the Brahmaputra,” said Goswami.
 
 The 
international conference was initiated by the Society for Srimanta 
Sankardeva and organized in collaboration with Friends of Assam and 
Seven Sisters (FASS) International and ASA Foundation, USA.

(The 
Sentinel, 09.07.2012 )

Call for review of embankment policy  (The Assam Tribune ,09.07.2012) 

http://www.assamtribune.com/scripts/detailsnew.asp?id=jul0912%2Fat06

 Land ahoy for sinking Majuli  (The Telegraph, 09.07.2012)
 http://www.telegraphindia.com/1120709/jsp/frontpage/story_15706796.jsp


 Heritage tag: Majuli not first priority for Centre (Seven Sisters Post,09.07.2012)

 http://sevensisterspost.com/?p=23288

Amar Asom (09.07.2012)
 
 http://amarasom.glpublications.in/Details.aspx?id=9831&boxid=111335187