Eminent Vaishnavite Scholar Prof. Ranjit Kr. Dev Goswami at Dibrugarh University Colloquium

The fifth lecture of the Colloquium organized by the University was held on the evening of 7th February 2014 at Seminar Hall of Centre for Management Studies, Dibrugarh University. The guest speaker of the colloquium was Professor Ranjit Kr. Dev Goswami, Professor of English, Gauhati University, an eminent scholar of Vaishnavite Studies who delivered his talk on ‘Bezbaroa aru Asomiya Sanskriti’. Along with Professor Dev Goswami the occasion was graced by the Vice-Chancellor Prof. Alak Kr. Buragohain, Prof. D. Nath, Aniruddha Deva Chair, eminent academicians and scholars from Dibrugarh University and people from civil society. The welcome address of the colloquium was presented by Professor D. Nath and Professor Dev Goswami was felicitated by the students of the Dibrugarh University. Professor Ranjit Kr Dev Goswami commented that the ideology of the Assamese culture is closely associated with Lakshminath Bezbaroa. He remembered a statement given by Rihaan Shah of Cotton College in the context of the connection between Lakshminath Bezbaroa and Dibrugarh. Shah often met Bezbaroa on the bank of the Dibru river while going for morning walk. Moreover, hearing the news of Bezbaroa’s death in 1938, famous Assamese writers like Preeti Barua and Hiren Bhattacharya rushed to attend his funeral. Professor Deb Goswami further added that Bezbaroa is the most important individual to welcome the new ideologies of equality and democratic values to Assamese culture. Lakshminath Bezbaroa embellished the Assamese language and culture in a new way. He also followed the path shown by harbingers like Ananda Ram Dhekial Phukan, Hem Chandra Barua, Gunabhiram Barua etc. to enlighten the Assamese mind and society. Annada Shankar Roy considered Lakshminath Bezbaroa who was a living legend of his time, to be one of the intellectuals of the third generation during the time of the renaissance of the Indian sub-continent. Bezbaroa propagated equality and harmony, equality for woman and eradication of casteism in the process of the formation of the Assamese community and society. Bezbaroa also gave the Assamese language a distinct form and identity, and he brought an end to the linguistic differences between the languages of upper and lower Assam. His collective perception of the Assamese culture gets expressed in the “Asom Sangeet.” The talk was followed by an interactive session between the speaker and faculties and research scholars. Relevant discussion on the matter of inclusion of ethnic groups of Assam and their representation in Asom Sangeet written by Bezbaroa has been cropped up. The colloquium ended with the vote of thanks presented by Ms. Suman Mahanta, Assistant Professor, Centre for Management Studies, Dibrugarh University.