[Assam] ananya assam

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http://www.telegraphindia.com/1070913/asp/northeast/story_8308305.asp

A little trivia, a lot of inspiration
- NGO compiles encyclopaedia that will contain
information about all Assamese villages
UMANAND JAISWAL
Back to the roots

Guwahati, Sept. 12: It’s not just nostalgia. It’s not
even a sense of having “come a long way”, which he
literally has.

For the head of mathematics department of Rhode Island
University, it is a crushing desire to tell his
American colleagues and his Indian friends what it was
like to lie on his back outside his hut and watch the
stars.

To study in a school that did not even have walls. To
smell the pitha on Bihu.

If everything works as planned, Prof. Dilip Dutta may
soon be able to fish out an encyclopaedia from his
bookrack and show what his little village in Assam was
like — complete with its smell, colour, customs and
rituals.

Aitihasik Samol Sangrah Abhayak Mancha, an NGO, is
compiling an encyclopaedia that will contain
information about all the villages of Assam — an
effort which is being billed as the first of its kind
in the world. In fact, the acronym — ASSAM — sums up
the spirit and ambition of the project.

Named the Anonya Asom (Unique Assam), the project will
prepare a data bank of Assam’s villages with their
social, cultural, economic and historical profiles.

“Everything started from villages and even the big
towns and cities were once rural habitations. Each and
everyone has some connection with one village or the
other,” said K.K. Bhuyan, chief convenor of the
project.

The project will take off with an essay competition
where participants will be asked to write about
his/her village with all possible information. Three
of the best essays will be awarded cash prizes of Rs
10,000, Rs 7,000 and Rs 5,000.

According to the 2001 census, there are 26,247
villages in Assam, but the research and the essay
contest will hopefully take this data beyond numbers.

After the first phase of research, the organisation
will be assisted by universities and the state
government as well as organisations like the Asam
Sahitya Sabha and All Assam Students’ Union, in
compilation.

An expert associated with the Asam Sahitya Sabha said
the number of illustrious Assamese who had a rural
background, “is very long”.

“Life in a village has shaped many a personality and
the effort to make a data base of villages is a
wonderful idea,” he added.

Take Numal Chandra Borah, for instance. The
chairman-cum-managing director of GNRC ploughed fields
and sold betel leaves and nuts to support his family
while in school at Bubia village in Sonitpur district.

“The database could be used for future reference not
only for social scientists but also for the government
and corporate houses,” said Bhuyan.

“Assam lives in its villages but there is no
documentation about the character of a village barring
the number of villages or estimated population. The
project will help people understand their village folk
better and also make them aware about their social,
educational and other development index. It is going
to be a virtual treasure trove.”


       
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