GUWAHATI: President Droupadi Murmu awarded the prestigious Padma Shri award to Sarbeswar Basumatary from Assam for his work in Agriculture and to Drona Bhuyan for his contributions to Art.
The ceremony took place in New Delhi on Monday.
Basumatary is a respected farmer who also serves as an advisory member for the fishery department in Assam’s Chirang district.
He is also a member of the 'Krishi Vigyan Kendra and Sericulture' in the district. Since 2017, he has been working as a promoter in the 'Bordoisila Farmer Producer Company Limited.'
Basumatary was born on April 8, 1962, and received education up to the 5th standard at Bagidwara LP School. At 13 years old, he traveled to Bokakhat, Dhansirimukh in the Golaghat district, and worked as a plowman.
In 1984, he returned to Chiponsila in Bongaigaon district and began farming. Afterward, he moved to Bhutiapara village in Chirang and started farming on land owned by landlords.
In 2007, Basumatary received training in fish farming, following that, he traveled to Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, West Bengal, and abroad.
He also received training in horticulture at Kalyani University in Kolkata.
In 2015, he was honored with the ‘Award of Excellence in Sericulture’ from the Central Silk Board, based in Bengaluru.
He received the honorary ‘Assam Gaurav’ award from the Governor of Assam in 2023, and the ‘Best Farmer Award’ from Assam Agricultural University in 2022.
On the other hand, Drone Bhuyan is highly skilled in the folk culture of ‘Sukani Ojapali’ and the ‘Deodhani dance’.
Born on January 1, 1956, in Satgharia village of Sipajhar in Darrang district, Bhuyan came from a poor family. He faced numerous challenges throughout his life. Due to his financial constraints, he could only receive primary education.
He was particularly passionate about “sukani Sangeet” and “Deodhani Dance”. At just seven years old, Bhuyan began accompanying his father to prepare for a “jatra party” and was recognized in society for his exceptional acting talent.
He regularly performed on All India Radio (AIR) in Guwahati and at the Sangeet Natak Academy. He also participated in performing arts workshops, not just in Assam but also at the National School of Drama in Delhi and Tezpur Central University.
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