A CORRESPONDENT
DOOMDOOMA: A book on Buddhism written by K Sri Dhammananda and translated into Assamese by Usha Rajkumari Gogoi, former Associate Professor of English, Doomdooma College, was released by Dr Prafulla Medhi, former Principal, Doomdooma College and noted writer and columnist, on Tuesday at Doomdooma Press Club.
The book-inauguration function was presided over by Anuj Kalita, president of Doomdooma Press Club (DPC) and Tinsukia District Journalists Association (TDJA), and was attended among others by Arjun Baruah, president of Tinsukia Zila Xahitya Xabha, Dhiren Deka, former president of Assam Science Writers' Association (ASWA) and Manoj Baruah, secretary of DPC and recipient of the Salil Neog Memorial Promising Young Journalist Award instituted by Margherita Journalists' Association (MJA).
In the beginning, Pranita Handique, former Associate Professor, Doomdooma College, explained the objectives of the meeting and welcomed the guests and the members belonging to Doomdooma Press Club.
Usha Rajkumari Gogoi in her speech narrated how she was assigned the job of translating the book into Assamese by Arun Baruah, Principal of Mahabodhi Lord Buddha College, Namsai in Arunachal Pradesh about five years back and thereupon she took upon her shoulders the responsibility of translating the book so painstakingly as she was ignorant about Buddhism till the time she got down to the actual work.
Dr Medhi, while explaining the various aspects of Buddhism, he lamented that reading habit of people is reducing to a large extent and the new writers seldom got encouragement to get their books published. Besides Arjun Baruah, the meeting was also addressed by Dr Aruna Gogoi Baruah, former Principal of Doomdooma College and recipient of the Basanti Debi Bordoloi Award of Axam Xahitya Xabha (AXX).