HT Correspondent
SIVASAGAR, Nov 15: Renowned folk artist, writer and former principal of Moran College, Anil Saikia was
honoured with the 2 nd Sahityarathi Rasaraj Laksminath Bezbaruah Award on Wednesday.
Sankarjyoti Baruah, general secretary the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) handed over the award to
Saikia at a function held in the Hindu Dharma Namghar Samaj Auditorium in Sivasagar. The first
recipient of the award was Padmashri Imran Shah.
The award, instituted by the Sivasagar unit of AASU, carries a citation, Rs 10,000 in cash and a memento.
Speaking on the occasion, Sankarjyoti Baruah lauded the Sivasagar district unit of AASU for instituting
the award.
“Laksminath Bezbaruah, the founder of Asomiya Satra Unnati Sabha, was a towering personality of the
age known to us as Romantic era (1864_1950) after the Vaishnavite lierary era. Bezbaruah fought
valiantly with his pen to dismiss the false narrative that Assamese language was an off shoot of the
Bengali language. He was, as said by Banikanta Kakoty, the ‘mukut behin samrat’( the emperor without a
crown),” said Sankarjyoti Baruah.
Baruah urged his fellow student activists to read the works of Laksminath Bezbarua and other literary
luminaries to understand the state’s socio-cultural roots.
Lauding Anil Saikia, Baruah said that he is a leading literary figure where folk culture and folk literary
tradition are concerned.
Receiving the award, Anil Saikia said, “Laksminth Bezbarua was a multifaceted genius and undoubtedly
rediscovered the enticing beauty of Assamese language. He was the first to write short stories like Seuti
and Bhadari. His two collections of poems Kadamkoli and Padumkoli, dramas and short stories are all
replete in humour of high calibre. Bezbaruah, a 24 year old young man in Kolkata ,thought of reviving
the Assamese language.”
Saikia also urged AASU to stick to their stand in support of the mother tongue in school education
against the government circular for English medium from class VI .
“Bezbarua was also endowed with extraordinary memory, based on whose story the first Assamese film
‘Jaymoti’ was made by Jyoti Prasad Agarwala.
Arundhati Bezbaruah, great granddaughter of the Rasaraj, lit the ceremonial light to inaugurate the
function. The programme was also attended by Manosh Hazarika, president of Sivasagar district unit of
AASU , Sarat Hazarika, general secretary of Asom Unnati Sabha, Samiran Phukan, assistant secretary of
AASU’s central committee, Naten Chetia, secretary of the Asom Unnati Sabha, Prema Gogoi, former
president of the Asom Kobi Sanmilan, educationist Bhupen Bora, Manoj Bhagawati, secretary of the
Sivasagar Sports Association, educationist Monica Saikia and a host of other citizens were also present
on the occasion.
