STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: The annual Niren Barua Memorial Elocution Competition was organized successfully by the New Art Players (NAP), a premier socio-cultural organization of the state, on November 24 last. Held in the newly-built state-of-the-art New Art Players Cultural Centre for Performing Arts situated near the Guwahati Club Rotary, the event saw enthusiastic participation from elocutionists of Guwahati and several other places in Assam. The event is organized annually by New Art Players in memory of their member, noted artist-director and All India Radio Newsreader Late Niren Barua, whose golden voice ruled the airwaves of Assam for nearly four decades between the 1960s and 2004. A talented stage director and the General Secretary of New Art Players from 1999-2001, Late Barua directed many plays for NAP including 'Somoy', 'Sorapatot Basanta', 'Ghor', 'Mokora Jaal', 'Abelir Rod', 'Bishnu Rabha - Eta Surjya, Ekajoli Abha' etc. He played iconic characters in very popular radio plays like 'Sur', 'Baruar Sansar', 'Sapun Sandhya', 'Birin Pator Annguthi' and countless others. Niren Barua's notable contribution to the Assamese film world was as Assistant Director (for his acclaimed elder brother filmmaker Late Nip Barua) for 'Sontola', 'Sonma', 'Ajoli Nobou', 'Anthony Mur Naam', 'Sakuntola aru Sankar Joseph Ali' and Ai Mur Jonome Jonome and he had also played significant roles in movies like 'Mukuta', 'Xontora' and 'Baruar Sansaar'.
The 2022 Edition of the prestigious elocution competition was jointly hosted by NAP members Kalyan Das and Gayatri Deka and inaugurated by noted musician Anupam Choudhury who recounted his association with Niren Barua.
Tributes were also paid to the Late Nipon Goswami, who had been a member of NAP. Further, the august gathering also paid homage to stalwarts of the socio-cultural and literary world who had passed away in recent times viz. Atulananda Goswami, Garima Hazarika, Neel Pawan Baruah and Pulak Gogoi. The judges for the event were renowned elocutionists Abani Borah and Spam Saikai. In all, twenty-six participants competed for the top honours: the first prize was won by Manjil Baruah; the second prize by Kritanjali Dutta and the third prize by Ankita Goswami. Joyprakash Sarma and Karishma Begum won the Special Jury Award. The judges also shared their views regarding the competition and reiterated that love for poetry, proper diction, practice and love for one's language were most essential for good elocution, a press release said.
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