Awardees

Professor Dev Sarma was an M.A. in Sanskrit from the University of Calcutta in 1939 and was engaged in teaching and research till his sad demise on the 17^th January, 1991. He taught at Sonaram High School, Cotton Collegiate High School, Handique Girls’ College, Cotton College and the University of Gauhati. His scholarly contribution to the field of literature includes, among others, his translation of Visakhadatta’s Mudrarakshasa  and Bharata’s Natyashastra to Assamese. He has also translated Kautilya’s Arthashastra and wrote a detailed introduction to the book.

The prestigious Anundoram Borooah Award for 1992 was presented posthumously to late Acharya Monoranjan Shastri, eminent Sanskritist of Assam.  As an eminent scholar and teacher, Shastri joined Nalbari Sanskrit College as its Principal in 1938. His scholarly contribution includes his fifteen books in Assamese and Sanskrit. He has also contributed more than two hundred research papers to different journals and periodicals. Some of the outstanding books authored by Shastri include Patakamnayah, Prakamakamrupam, Utankabhaiksam in Sanskrit and Asamar Vaisnavadarsanar Ruprekha, Patakaprakasa, Sahityadarsana, Puroni Asamar Dharma aru Darsana etc in Assamese.

The prestigious Anundoram Borooah Award for 1993 was presented to the distinguished Sanskrit scholar and an Indologist of repute Dr. Biswanarayana Shastri. Dr. Shastri studied Sanskrit in traditional method in Nalbari, Varanasi and Calcutta and obtained the title of Vyakaran Shastri, Sahitya Shastri, Mimasa Shastri from the Assam Sanskrit Board. He secured first class first position in the M.A. examination of the Benarasa Hindu University and was awarded the D. Litt degree for his thesis ‘The concept of Samavaya in Nyaya Vaisesik System of Philosophy’. Dr. Shastri represented India in a number of international conferences of scholars and has also chaired a number of them in India and abroad. In 1987 he received the Sahitya Akademi Award and the Govt of Assam has awarded him “Literary Pension” for his contribution to Assamese literature and culture. Dr. Shastri was instrumental in initiating the broadcasting of Sanskrit news from All India Radio and he was the first parliamentarian to speak in Sanskrit in the Indian Parliament.

The prestigious Anundoram Borooah Award for 1994 was presented to Late Birendra Kumar Phukan who was an outstanding singer and musicologist. Late Phukan graduated from the University of Lucknow and joined  All India Radio, Guwahati as a Programme Executive. At Lucknow, he enrolled himself as a student of Maris College of Music and had his music lessons from personalities like Pandit Sri Krishnanarayan Ratanjankar and Pandit Govind Narayan Natu. Phukan also wrote a number of articles and books on music. Sangitiki and Raga Sangeet are two important books on music authored by time. His Svararekhat Bargeet written in association with Shri Purushottam Das, is a pioneering attempt at capturing some pieces of Bargeet in notations.

The prestigious Anundoram Borooah Award for 1995 was presented posthumously to Late Dr. Prafulladatta Goswami, Professor Emeritus, Gauhati University. Late Dr. Goswami is well known as an eminent folklorist and research scholar and he has a number of scholarly articles and books published to his credit. ‘Festivals of Assam’ is the last published work of Dr. Goswami.

The prestigious Anundoram Borooah Award for 1996 was presented to noted writer and scholar Sri Jajneswar Sarma. Graduated from Cotton college Guwahati and subsequently obtained his post graduation in English Literature form Presidency College, Calcutta in 1929, Sri Sarma served as the Principal of Nagaon College. He was also one of the founder members of J.B. College, Jorhat. He presided over the Tihu session of Asom Sahitya sabha. His contribution to the field of art and letters in Assam includes an anthology of Assamese poetry Satapatra several volumes of literary criticism relating to Assamese literature and many other miscellaneous writings including some poems.

The prestigious Anundoram Borooah Award for 1997 was awarded to the renowned historian, Itihas Acharya, Professor Herambakanta Barpujari. This octogenarian historian has, to his credit, more than 20 books and 50 papers of very high academic standard. He is associated with over a dozen organisations involved in Historical studies in different capacities. He has been felicitated by many organisations both within and outside the country.

The prestigious Anundoram Borooah Award for 1998 was awarded to the noted scholar and writer Dr. Satyendra Nath Sarma. Dr. Sarma is an M.A. in M.I.L from Calcutta University and the recipient of Ashutosh Mukhopadhyay gold medal. He is one of the first three scholars to be awarded the D. Phil degree by Gauhati University. He was the president of Asom Sahitya Sabha for the year 1975. The Asom Sahitya Sabha honoured him by conferring on him the title sahityaacharya.  He was the recipient of the Sankardev Award instituted by the Government of Assam. He has authored and edited a few scores of books both in Assamese and English.

The prestigious Anundoram Borooah Award for 1999 was awarded to the great scholar and administrator Dr. Jogeswar Sarma. Dr. Sarma completed his post graduation in Sanskrit Group E from Calcutta University in 1948. He is also well known as a pioneer in the study and profession of library science in Assam. He was appointed as the librarian of the Assam High Court. Following this he was recruited by the University of Gauhati as the librarian of the Krishna Kanta Handique library in March 1949. Mr. Sarma earned a good reputation as a strict disciplinarian and an able administrator. In 1966 the Gauhati Uiversity authority decided to start the undergraduate course in Library Science under the Headship of Sarmah who was entrusted to teach two theoretical papers and two pratical papers of 100 marks each in the beginning. He also prepared the Master degree course syllabus of Library Science and hot it approved by experts. Apart from his service to the discipline of Library Science, Dr. Sarma was also known for his mastery over Sanskrit studies. Some of his publications include Kalidasa aru Tapasya, Kalidasar Pratibha etc in Assamese and The Philosophy of Education in the Upanishadas in English. He has also a number of scholarly articles published in various reputed journals to his credit.

The prestigious Anundoram Borooah Award for 2000 was awarded to noted scholar and critic Professor Mukunda Madhava Sharma. Prof. Sharma was known as an eminent indologist and he was also the former Vice Chancellor of the Dibrugarh University. He completed his M.A. from Calcutta University and Kavyatirtha from Vangia Sanskrit Parisad both in 1954. He obtained his Ph.D and D. Litt from Calcutta University in 1963 and 1970 respectively. As a Sanskrit scholar of international repute, he has contributed immensely to Sanskrit Literature more particularly in the areas of poetry and poetics, History and Epigraphy. A prolific writer and an accomplished critic, he has to his credit 43 books and more than 260 research papers and other learned articles written in Sanskrit, English, Assamese, Bengali and Hindi. Professor Sharma has served the Assamese Literature as writer primarily in the areas of Vaisnava Literature, Literary Criticism and modern Assamese poetry. This distinguished educationist with 46 years of teaching and research and educational experience is a recipient of the Certificate of Honour from the President of India (1988), the distinguished service Gold Medal from the Governor of Assam (1993) and also the literary pension of the Government of Assam (since August, 1997).

The prestigious Anundoram Borooah Award for 2001 was awarded to the noted linguist scholar Prof. Golok Chandra Goswami. Prof. Goswami did his M.A. in Education from the department of Education, Gauhati University. He is known as an well known linguist who have made pathbreaking contribution to the study of linguistics. His book titled ‘An Introduction to Assamese Phonology’ is great contribution to the linguistic study of Assamese language. This book was published by the Dr. Sumitra Mangesh Katre, the Director of Post Graduate and Research Institute of Deccan College on the institute’s behalf. Another pathbreaking publication of Prof. Goswami is ‘ Dhvani Bigyanor Bhumika’(The role of Phonetics) written in Assamese which is the first ever book published in Assamese language about the scientific Phonetic study of language. Prof. Goswami joined the department of Assamese as a lecturer on July, 1954 and retired as Professor and Head on August 1^st, 1985. As a noted linguist and scholar Prof. Goswami has participated in a number of various International and National Seminar and Conferences. He has delivered a series of lectures on the structure of an Aryan Language. He has also scores of books, articles and research papers published in various reputed journals to his credit. Some of his books in English include the titles An Introduction to Assamese Phonology, Structure of Assamese, Revised and Edited: Dr. Banikanta kakati’s Assamese, Its Formation and Development etc. Similarly some of his important publications in Assamese are Dhvni Bigyanor Bhumika, Asomiya Bornoprakash, Asomiya Akhor Jotoni etc.

The prestigious Anundoram Borooah Award for 2006 was awarded to the noted scholar Dr. Jogendranarayana Bhuyan. Dr. Bhuyan completed his M.A. in Assamese in 1964 from Gauhati University and obtained his Ph.D degree in 1996 from Dibrugarh University. He has made great contribution to the Assamese literature by way of publishing compilation of the valuable of books and other compositions of various reputed Assamese authors. Some of his publications in Assamese are RatnaKanta Borkakotir Godya Somvar, Gyandaviram Barua Rosonawoli, Mozindar Barua Rosonawoli etc. Another important contribution that he made to the study of history of Assam is his discovery of some of the very important documents laying unattended in the Mohafezkhana of Nagaon. Apart from these, he has, through his writings published some of the unknown and interesting facts about some of the great scholars of Assam such as Anundoram Dhekial Phukan, Gunaviram Barua, Bholanath Barua etc.

The prestigious Anundoram Borooah Award for 2007 was awarded to the noted linguist and scholar Dr. Pramod Chandra Bhattacharya. Dr. Bhattacharya is much known for his exploratory linguistic study of the Boro language. He completed his M.A. in Assamese from the Dept of Assamese in Gauhati University in the year 1950. In 1954 he was selected for undergoing a training programme organized by the School of Linguistics in the Deccan College of Pune. Soon after his post graduation Dr. Bhattacharya undertook his research work on ‘A Descriptive Analysis of the Boro Language’ under the guidance of Dr. Banikanta Kakati. His thesis has gathered much accolades from different linguist of repute both from the national and international arena. Due to his exemplary work on the Boro language, he is known as the father of the modern Boro language. Soon after his post graduation Dr. Bhattacharya was appointed as lecturer in the department of Assamese in B.Borooah College. Subsequently he also served as a guest lecturer in the newly started department of Linguistics of Gauhati University. Dr. Bhattacharya was also associated with various activities of the Modern Indian Languages Department of Gauhati University. He was instrumental in designing the syllabus of the Boro Diploma course, Degree Course and Masters Degree Course in the University. He has a great number of high quality publications in the form of books, research papers, chapters in books to his credit. Some of his invaluable publications in English are A Descriptive Analysis of the Bodo Language, Boro Folksongs and Tales, This is Assam, The Journal of the University Students, Aspects of North East Indian Languages etc. He is also the recipients of a number of prestigious awards both in the state and national level.

The prestigious Anundoram Borooah Award for 2011 was awarded to the noted scholar Dr. Harinath Sarma Doloi. Dr. Sarma completed his M.A. in Assamese in 1955 from the department of Assamese in Gauhati University. He also obtained his Ph.D degree from the same University in 1971 for his thesis ‘Saktism and Sakta Literature in Assam’. A literary pensioner from the year 2000 Dr. Doloi has contributed continuously tothe field of Assamese literature with his scholarly writings on Sakta and Vaisnava literature form the pre-independence era. His contribution to the field of folklore is also worth mentioning. His invaluable contribution to Assamese literature includes 36 books and many research papers.

The prestigious Anundoram Borooah Award for 2012 was awarded to the noted scholar in Buddhist studies Bhadanta Sasana Bangsha Mahathera. He has devoted himself to the study of Buddhism. In 21 years of age he left for Burma on foot to learn about Buddhism and the practice of Tai literature. After indulging in an indepth study of Buddhist literature and philosophy he came back to his birthplace at Solapothar in 1948. He studies Pali in his M.A. at Nalanda University and successfully obtained the degree with a Gold Medal. After that he has been continuously working for the promotion and development of Pali in Northeast India. He is the recipient of the literary pension of Govt of Assam since 2013. He has also been offered the prestigious D. Litt by Dibrugarh University.

Professor Keshavananda Deva Goswami is the 16th recipient of the Award. Prof Goswami started his career as Lecturer in Assamese in A.D.P College, Nagaon and retired as Professor and Head of the Department of Assamese from Dibrugarh University. He also worked as Saint Sankardeva Chair Professor in Patiala University, Panjab for a period of one year in 1974. After retirement he associated himself with various national and international organizations. He has to his credit around forty books in Assamese and five books in English of high academic standard. Some of the remarkable works in Assamese by Prof. Deva Goswami are Pitha Rahasyam(1951), Chitralekha(1952), Dusuti Mukhar Ghat(1963), Narakasur Vadha(1949), Amrit-manthan (1952), Nam-ghosa(1991), Satra Sankriti Rup Rekha(1976), Ankiya Bhaona(1992), Katha Kirtan(1993), Borgit: Parampara Aru Parivesan Paddhati, Mahapurus Sankardeva(2001), Bhagawat Puran Aru Asamiya Vaisnava Samaj(2001) etc. Some of his remarkable English titles include Life and Teachings of Mahapurusa Sankardeva (Patiala University, 1999), Post-Sankardeva Vaisnavism Faith and Culture of Assam (Indian Book Centre, 1987) and Parijat Haran Drama of Sankardeva, included in Mediaeval India Literature (Sahitya Academi, 1997). For his outstanding contributions towards Assamese Language and literature, Vaisnava Studies and Assamese culture he has been awarded Chandra Kanta Hariprabha Award for Sankaradeva Studies, 2000, Sangita Bhusana, for Sattriya dance, drama and music by Asam Sattra Mahasabha, 2003, Sattriya Sangitacharyya by Sattriya Sangit Vidyalaya, 2003, Bhasa Samman Award by Sahitya Academi, 2003, Srimanta Sankardeva Award by Govt. of Assam, 2006, Lakhminath Bezbarooa Award for Assamese literature, by Asom Sahitya Sabha 2012. Besides these, he has edited many journals and translated many books and articles from English to Assamese. He has also presented many research papers in national and international seminars/workshops both in Assamese and English language. He has also guided 18 research scholars who got their Ph. D. degrees from the Dibrugarh University under this supervision.

Professor Nagen Saikia was born on 11th of February, 1939 at Hatiakhowa village in erstwhile Golaghat subdivision, presently district of Assam. His father was Umaram Saikia who hailed from an agrarian family and his mother’s name is Hemaprabha Saikia. He is the eldest brother with three younger sisters in the family. Prof. Saikia began his professional career as a teacher in Hatikhoa and Dhekial H.E. School and then he joined the Asom Batori in 1965 as an Assistant Editor. He worked a s Lecturer in the Department of Assamese in Diphu Government College, New Jorhat College and Devicharan Barua College from 1965 to 1971. In 1972 he joined Dibrugarh University as a lecturer in the department of Assamese and continued in this position upto 1982. He was also designated as the Professor of Sahityarathi Lakshminath Bezbarua Chair from 1992 to 2003. He was honoured as the president of Asom Sahitya Sabha from 1997 to 1999. He was awarded with the Sahitya Akademi Award for his short-story collection Andharat Nijar Mukh in 1997. He was also elected as a member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha) for the period 1986 to 1992. Professor Saikia supervised more than 20 research scholars for Ph.D degree from Dibrugarh University. He presented many research papers in national and international seminars and symposia. He has to his credit a mammoth total of 58 original works, 69 edited books, 2 translated books, 11 jointly edited books and many valuable articles on literature, language and various socio-political issues published in newspapers and periodicals.

Born on 29th February, 1940, Dr. Naren Kalita is the eldest of four children of the late Nirmal Ch. Kalita and Rukma Kalita. His father who hailed from Hariamukh Kumargaon near Raha in the district of Nagaon, Assam. Dr. Kalita has been associated with many social and cultural organisations. He is closely associated with the management of the Bardowa Than and was an executive member of the Than Porisalana Somiti for a long time and secretary of the committee from 1990 to 1996. He is also closely associated with the establishment of the Srimanta Sankaradeva Kalakshetra. He was a member of the advisory board of cultural affairs department for establishing an institution in the name of Sankaradeva from 1985 onwards. When Srimanta Sankaradeva Kalakshetra was established he was nominated as a member of the general council of the Kalakshetra. He was the member of the Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre, Kolkata for more than ten years. He was also a member of the documentation and publication subcommittee of EZCC. He had a close association with the Asom Saitya Sabha also. He is a life member of Asom Sahitya Sabha and had worked in the capacity of member of a central executive committee of the Sahitya Sabha. He was the president of Zila Sahitya Sabha of Nagaon for two terms. He is a life member of the Indian Art History Congress and also had been its’ executive member for sometime. He is associated with the library movement in Assam also and had been advisor to the Sodou Asom Gramyo Puthivoral Santha. He was a member of the Gauhati University court for two years. He was the president of the governing body of Nagaon Girls’ College. He was a member of the governing body of Nagaon college for two terms. He was awarded the Chitrapath Sanman by Nagaon Fine Arts Society in 2015. He was awarded with the Dronacharya award by the Dronacharya Junior College, Nagaon. He was awarded the Jagaddhatri Harmohan Das Award, for his book ‘Asomar Sitraputhi’ in 1997-98 by Asom Sahitya Sabha. His academic works include ‘Anek Akuti’ (1962)- a novel, Bardoar Shilpabastu (1985), Descriptive Catalogue of Manuscripts, published by Shrimanta Sankardev Research Institute, Bardoa, Asomar Puthichitra, Published by Assam Publication Board in 1996, Report on the Survey of Old and Rare Manuscripts in the Districts of Nagaon and Morigaon, published by All Assam Rural Library Association, in 2008, Alphabetical Index of Illustrated Manuscripts of Assam, Published by Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts, New Delhi, in 2008, The Katha Bhagabata Painting of Punya Satra, published by Asom Sahitya Sabha in 2010. Belamangal Kavya (Billamangal Stotra), published by Assam Publication Board, in 2008, Manuscript Paintings from Kamrupa Anusandhan Samity (Jointly written with Dr. Rabin Dev Choudhury, published by Kamrup Anusanhan Samity, in 2011, An Illustrated Anadi Patana of Kuji Setra (18th Century A.D.), published by the Directorate of Cultural Affairs, Assam Government.

Professor Birendranath Datta was born on the 1^st of March, 1935 at Nagaon. His father was late Kalpanath Datta, school teacher and mother late Mandakini Datta. Prof. Datta dis this doctoral research under the supervision of Prof. Praphulladatta Goswami on the topic ‘A Study of the Culture of the Goalpara District of Assam’ from Gauhati University and was awarded Ph.D in 1974. He started his career as a lecturer in Economics in B.Borooah College from 1957 to 1975. He also worked as Principal in Goalpara college, Pandu College, Guwahati. He joined Gauhati University as a reader in the department of Foklore Research and became Professor and Head of the Department. He continued his service in Gauhati University for 16 years from 1978 and retired as dean of Arts in 1995. After retirement he helped the Tezpur University to establish the department of Traditional Culture and Art Forms which was later on renamed as the department of Culture Studies. He associated himself with various national and international organizations. He has to his credit around 18 books in Assamese and 20 books in English of high academic standard. Besides these, he has edited many journals and translated many books and articles from English to Assamese. He also presented many research papers in national and international seminars. He has also guided about 20 research scholars who got their Ph.D degrees from Gauhati University and Tezpur University. He has been awarded the prestigious title of Padmashree by the government of India for his valuable contribution towards the field of Folklore studies. He has also contributed towards the repository of Assamese literature as lyricist and singer. He started his career as a lecturer in the B. Borooah college and went on to teach in the Pandu college. He taught in the department of Traditional Culture Art Form in the Tezpur Central University. He has also formerly role of President of Asom Sahitya Sabha.

Professor Tabu Ram Taid, known as one of the well accomplished and internationally acclaimed academics, administrators and researchers was born on the 1^st of August, 1942 in the Ghunasuti village in North Lakhimpur district of Assam. He was the sixth of seven children of his father Ubbang Taid and mother Deuti Taid. He began his career as the founder principal of Dhakuakhana College in 1967. In the same year he got appointment as a lecturer, in the Department of English, Cotton College. Later he became a professor in the same department and served in this college till 1981. He left his job in Cotton College and joined Educational Administration as Inspector of Schools. Finally, he worked in various capacities such as Deputy Director, Additional Director and finally as the Director, Higher Education. He was the founder Director of Anundoram Borooah Institute of Language, Art and Culture, Assam. Initially he was on deputation to ABILAC as the Director from 1990 to 1993. From 1993 to 1997 he was given the responsibility of the Director of ABILAC as an additional charge. During this time, he was serving as the Director of SCERT, Assam (1993-1995), the Director, Higher Education, Assam (1995-1996) and Chairman, SEBA (1996-2000). From April,2000 to July,2000 he served as the Director, Secondary Education, Assam. He also served as Chairman, State Selection Board from 1998 to 2004. He also took upon different important public responsibilities. He acted as members of Education Reforms Commission, Assam, Publication Board, Assam, Executive Council, Gauhati University, Executive Council and University court, Dibrugarh University, Board of Management, Krishnakanta Handiqui State Open University. He served as chairman of Zonal Committee of Council of Boards of Secondary Education (COBSE), NE Zone. He was also the Vice-chariman Governing Councill and Chairman, Executive Committee of ABILAC, Assam. He had great love for his mother tongue and formed the Mising Agom Kébang (Mising Sahitya Sabha) and he became the founder president which was formed on 18^th April, 1972. He was continuously the president of the Mising Agom Kébang (Mising Sahitya Sabha) till 1980. Under his steersmanship the development of Mising language, literature and script got a formidable momentum. He acted as a Consultant for the NCERT project on State Studies in School Education (for the state of Assam). He was also associated with the Sahitya Akademi (Regional and North-East Oral Literature Centre) and NBT.

His valuable contribution to the Assamese society and also to the academics and administration has been well acknowledged by many institutions and civil bodies in the form of awards and honours.

He was conferred ‘Agom Migang’ by Mising Agom Kebang in 2007. He was awarded with the Sukapha award in 2011 by the Ministry of Cultural Affairs, Govt. of Assam. He was also awarded with the ‘Abanari Dagnow’ award by the people of greater Ghunasuti. He was awarded the ‘Bhasha Samman Award, 2010’, by Sahitya Akademi, New Delhi. Asom Sahitya Sabha honoured him with the ‘Basudev Jalan Award’, in 2012. He is also one of the recipients of the ‘Asom Shreshtha, 2015 award (Shiksha)’, given by The Telegraph (in collaboration with the LIC). His is a Literary Pensioner of Govt. of Assam. Krishna Kanta Handiqui State Open University honoured him with Ph.D (Honoris Causa) in 2019.

As an accomplished and internationally acclaimed academic he has made valuable contribution to the academic world.