HT Correspondent
SIVASAGAR, May 22: Over 150 organisations of Sivasagar district, on Monday, felicitated Jayanta Baruah for his outstanding contribution to the field of book and newspaper publication, especially his recent publication of the Braille version of the Assamese dictionary – ‘Hemkosh’ which has found a place in the Guinness Book of World Records also.
The felicitation programme held in Yuvadal Auditorium, organised by a committee with Sontosh Dutta as the president and Basanta Gogoi as the secretary, drew a large crowd and the organisations include Sivasagar Jila Sahitya Sabha, District Sports Association, Rangpur Sahitya Sabha, Sivasagar Satra Mohasabha unit, Dihowmukh College, Sivasagar Senior Citizens Forum, Sangskritik Mohasabha, Brihattar Sivasagar Press Club, Sibasagar Press Club, Sivasagar Commerce College, and many more.
Inaugurating the function Sahityacharjya Dr Nahendra Padun said that it is overwhelming to see one son of the state and in particular of Sivasagar being felicitated in such a warm manner.
Receiving the felicitations, Jayanta Baruah said he did never try to earn a place in the Guinness Book of World Records by publishing a Braille version of the Hemkosh, but due to an inner urge to help the blind people in the state. It was quite challenging due to many technical and other problems. The machine with the government is a German one and parts of which had to be imported from Germany. The paper had to be imported from Japan.
The Braille version consists of 28 volumes of a total of 13096 pages. The height of the total volumes placed one on top of the other is 11 feet.
Baruah said that the 15th edition of the Hemkosh is in progress. It will have big additions from a plenary of grammarians and linguists of the state including Dr Basanta Kumar Goswami, Dr Malini, and Dr Upen Rabha Hakasam
