Assam Governor, Prof Jagdish Mukhi presented Tirthanath Sarma-Nirmala Devi award to eminent litterateur and scholar Prof Nagen Saikia on Wednesday.
The presentation was made at a function held at B K B auditorium in Gauhati University.
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Speaking at the programme, Prof Mukhi said function itself is a very noble occasion organized to pay rich tributes to the literary genius Tirthanath Sarma.
He said Sarma had immensely contributed to the enrichment of Assam’s literary and academic contour.
He also said that the works of Tirthanath Sarma contributed immensely to take the graph of academic development of Assam altogether to a new height.
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Tirthanath Sarma was also elected as the president of Asom Sahitya Sabha for its 38th annual conference and left behind a lasting impression in the working of the Assam’s apex literary body.
He was also a key member of the sub-committee constituted by the government of Indian languages.
As a principal of Pragjyotish College, he played crucial role to give it the present shape that it enjoys.
Tirthanath Sarma was the monarch of a large literary kingdom that included writings in Sanskrit, critical works in Assamese, critical essays on language, poetry, short stories and writings for children.
Late Nirmala Devi was the wife Pandit Tirthanath Sarma who strongly cooperated in the literary endeavour of her husband by being his shadow.
The Governor said the present generation should find time to read the literary creations of the great litterateurs of Assam.
He also maintained that when a student reads, his or her imaginations take over and arouse his intellectual and creative faculty which in turn helps in enriching the creative, literary and innovative traits.
Congratulating Dr Nagen Saikia on being conferred on the prestigious award, Prof Mukhi said that the presenting the award to a multi-dimensional personality like Dr Nagen Saikia, will definitely add more stature to the function as much as to the award itself.
He also urged upon Dr Nagen Saikia and other seasoned litterateurs to continue their good work so that the society at large is benefitted from their creations.
The function was attended by the vice chancellor of Gauhati University Dr Pratap Jyoti Handique, registrar, Gauhati University Dr Nani Gopal Mahanta, along with a host of other dignitaries.