Assam: Speakers throw light on faculties in which Nabakanta Barua excelled

GUWAHATI: The Department of English, Dispur College, organized a memorial lecture as a tribute to the prominent Assamese litterateur and Sahitya Akademi Award winner, Nabakanta Barua, on his death anniversary recently. The programme, coordinated by Dr. Sanjib Kumar Sarma, HoD, Department of English, Dispur College, began with the welcome address that was delivered by Dr. Sunita Agarwalla, Vice Principal of the College, wherein she highlighted Barua's contribution to the esteemed institution of Cotton College (now University) as a faculty member.

Following this, Dr. Karabi Deka Hazarika, former Dean of Humanities and Social Sciences, Dibrugarh University and a renowned poet, delivered the memorial lecture on Barua. In her speech, Dr. Hazarika shed light on Barua's invaluable contribution to the Assamese nation by establishing the Assamese creative genius on the world stage through his artistic and aesthetic poetry. She emphasized how Barua's poems dealt with the themes of the Assamese urbane, death and its associations, etc., fusing contemporaneity with the perpetual.

Adding to Dr. Deka's words, Dr. Leena Deka, Professor, Department of Assamese, Mahapurusha Srimanta Sankaradeva Vishwavidyalaya, highlighted Barua's prose vis-à-vis verse. She stated that Barua could craft aesthetics equally in both forms. Following this, Mohan Moran, a researcher on folk culture, delivered his perspective on the works of Barua. The insightful lecture conducted in online mode via Google Meet was attended by Dr. Indrani C. Mahanta, Dr. Binoy Chetia, Dr. Smriti Deori, Sutibra Malakar, and Dr. Malabika Bhattacharyya, HoD, Department of Assamese, Dispur College, along with students of the Department of English. The programme ended with various song performances by students and followers of Barua, viz., Dolly Talukdar, Keertana Das, Mridul Baruah, and Kamini Mohan Baruah, as a mark of tribute to the literary legend, according to a press release. 

Also Read: Doomdooma College's Shivajit Dutta Awarded Ph.D. by IIT Guwahati for Study on Assamese Novels (sentinelassam.com)

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