HT Bureau
GUWAHATI, Jan 30: Governor Lakshman Prasad Acharya on Friday inaugurated a two-day workshop on ‘Manuscripts of Assam’ at the Phanidhar Datta Seminar Hall of Gauhati University, underscoring the role of manuscript preservation in safeguarding the state’s cultural and literary legacy.
The workshop has been organised under the ‘Governor Assam Bhasha Protsahan Yojana, 2025’, an initiative of Lok Bhavan conceptualised by the Governor to promote and preserve Assam’s rich linguistic and literary heritage.
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Addressing the gathering, Acharya described manuscripts as immortal carriers of knowledge and cultural continuity.
Quoting the Sanskrit maxim “Nāsti vidyā samaṁ cakṣuḥ” (there is no vision equal to knowledge), he said manuscripts preserve the wisdom of sages, saints and society across generations and serve as living links between the past and the present.
Highlighting Assam’s illustrated knowledge tradition from ancient Kamarupa through the Ahom period, the Governor said manuscripts written in Sanskrit, Old Assamese and Tai-Ahom reflect the state’s multilingual and multicultural ethos.
Referring to the literary works of Srimanta Sankardeva and Sri Madhavdeva, he said these manuscripts convey enduring values of social harmony, compassion and human dignity, while Ahom-era chronicles represent a distinctive and scientific tradition of historiography.
Emphasising the relevance of preservation in the digital age, Acharya said the language promotion initiative of Lok Bhavan seeks to foster linguistic harmony and cultural dialogue.
He cited recent efforts such as the publication of a translated compilation of Assamese and Tamil patriotic poems, noting that the initiative has now been expanded to include preservation and dissemination of India’s ancient knowledge traditions in collaboration with Gauhati University.
Quoting Prime Minister Narendra Modi that “India’s heritage is a bridge to the future”, the Governor referred to the Gyan Bharatam Mission, under which more than 5.2 million manuscripts have already been documented across the country, with Assam making a notable contribution.
He lauded the efforts of institutions such as the Assam State Archives, Kamarupa Anusandhan Samiti, Gauhati University, Cotton University, Srimanta Sankardeva Kalakshetra and Vaishnavite sattras in preserving manuscripts.
He also highlighted that five rare Assamese Sanchipat manuscripts preserved at Rashtrapati Bhavan’s Granth Kutir symbolise national recognition of Assam’s cultural heritage.
Calling upon scholars, academicians and society at large to actively engage in manuscript preservation, Acharya expressed hope that the workshop would serve as a meaningful platform for technical training, cultural revival and future collaboration, contributing to the revival of India’s glorious past.
The inaugural session was attended by Commissioner and Secretary to the Governor S S Meenakshi Sundaram, Advisor to the Governor Dr Harbansh Dixit, OSD Prof Bechan Lal, Vice-Chancellor of Gauhati University Prof Nani Gopal Mahanta, Director of the Directorate of Historical and Archaeological Studies Dr Sangita Gogoi, Director of the Directorate of Archaeology, Assam Dr Deepi Rekha Kauli, along with faculty members, research scholars and other dignitaries.
