Skip to content Skip to navigation

Assam2008 held in USA

The NRI Assamese get together, Assam2008 of North America was held again this year on the 4th of July weekend. This annual event is part of an on-going effort to bring together the scattered Assamese community in North America for a celebration of Assamese heritage and culture. As always there is good fellowship, fun filled activities, cultural programs, special workshops, special presentations and of course lot of good food - catered and home baked. It was a 3 day event. The 1st day, July 3rd started with reception, registration, and then a group dinner at very nice restaurant where people can chat & socialize. The evening would have ended with dance to DJ Music. However, due to some family tragedy in one of the families this event was cancelled for the night. July 4th & 5th were filled many activities including options for families to go site seeing tour of nearby Valley Forge National Historical Park and Long Wood Botanical Garden during morning and early after noon.

Our guest artist for the event was well known Ms. Tarali Sarma, the only Assamese National Film Award winner for Best Female Playback Singer for the film Akashi Torar Kothare in 2004. She is a regular performing artist of All India Radio & Dooradarshan. She is a singer, composer, director, & philanthropist. Tarali not only performed on both days, but she also participated with our local talented artist Sankumani Sarma in a duet and played the harmonium in another song. She simply got everyone involved in singing and dancing on both days. Everyone had a blast having a good time and enjoyed her down to earth personality. We wish the best to Ms. Tarali Sarma and her family. Folks also bought Tarali’s latest CD like a hot cake.

In addition to our guest artist there were plenty other very talented artists who performed many different cultural items from flute recital, karate, Satriya dance, Assamese modern dance, Bihu dances, Husori, Hindi songs, Gazals, of course lot of Assamese songs, Bihu songs, Boro dances, too many to mention here. Thanks to all the talented local artists, without their support and participation we could not hold these events . The cultural show on 4th was started with a chorus specially composed for the event. Thanks go to Mrs. Anuja Bala Devi of Guwahati for composing. Music was given by her son Mr. Sankumani Sarma. Thank you Sankumani!

Some of the other highlights of the event was a workshop on CPR & Heimlich Maneuver, something everyone should know. Thanks to Dr. Nirode Das for this work shop where many got hands on training. FASS, Friends of Assam and Seven Sisters, USA representative Mr. Rajen Barua gave a very informative presentation on FASS and on the myriads of much needed projects the group is working on. He also showed the 1st ever Assamese audio-video show of a folk tale for children by Ankur Bora. And last but not least released "Learn Assamese with Flash Card", which sold like hot cakes.

By Dhruba Das, Pennsylvania, USA

Comments

Utpal Kumar Sharma's picture

Hi everybody there in US. Myself is Sankumani's elder brother from Guwahati. I was very happy to see the good works done by u people in US for Assamese culture and heritage.

Pages

Add new comment

Other Contents by Author

Four awarded Assamese films – Agnisnan by Dr Bhabendra Nath Saikia, Hkhagoroloi Bohu Door by internationally acclaimed Jahnu Barua, Joimoti of Manju Borah, Aideu by Arup Manna and two documentaries Hastir Kanya by Prabin Hazarika, and Koihatir Dhulia by Hemanta Das – will be screened at the Dhaka International Film Festival beginning on Thursday. These will be screened under the title ‘Films from Assam – The Amazing Reel Life’, at the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka in the nine-day festival, stated a press release issued by the Assam Short Film (Finance...
Two hardcore ULFA militants surrendered before security forces Dibrugarh district on Wednesday. Both of them belong to the outfit's crack unit -- 28th battalion. They are Bhaimon Changmai and Bina Payeng who deposited a 9-mm pistol, one magazine and six rounds of live ammunition in Dibrugarh while they laid down thier arms. Dibrugarh deputy commissioner Ashutosh Agnihotri, superintendent of police Anurag Agarwal, CRPF commanding officer G S Sodhi and Army 11 Guards Regiment commanding officer Col D K Singh were present at the fuction.
Large scale violence in the form of booth capturing marred the third phase of panchayat polling in Nagaon district on Wednesday. The incident took place in the early hours at the two booths at the 48th and 49th Rajabari Muktab School. In the morning a group of five youth Congress activists suddenly forcibly stormed to the booths. The polling officials and the waiting voters prevented them from voting. The polling was suspended till 10-30. Later two ballot boxes were examined in full view of the Nagaon superintendent of police and some voters. No anomalies were found and the polling resumed.
Canara Bank organised a training camp in Guwahati in collaboration with the Kahikuchi Agruculture Science Centre. Altogether thirty two women participated in the two day training camp which ended on Wednesday. The participants were given away certificates at a function presided over by Deputy general manager of the bank Ravindra Nath Misra.
The Asom Sahitya Sabha has served an ultimatum for Dispur to ensure Assamese language in all administrative functionings by April 14. It further threatened to sit in stir from fifteenth of April if the government fails to implement it within this periodAddressing a press conference in the city, on Wednesday Asom Sahitya Sabha president Kanaksen Deka said the organisation would urge to the people not to cooperate with the government if it fails to enforce mother tongue in all the official functioning by fourteenth of April.Mr Deka said after the seventh January incident, a delegation of the Sabha called on Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi and submitted a memorandum. On seventh of January, several...
The police has arrested top ranked AANLA leader Rupen Lakra during an operation in Bokajan in Karbi Anglong district on Wedenesday. The police further claimed that Rupen was in charge of Karbi Anglong district. The police dug a portion of Baghjan field and recovered a huge cache of arms and ammunition. These include three AK-47 Rifles, two .31 rifles, 20 US carbine, Twenty five .351 bullets, 70 rounds of 9 9mm bullets, 155 rounds of AK-47 rifle bullets, 3 grenades, 6 hand grenades, one N-16 rifle, 4 highly explosive bombs, one grenade launcher besides an AK-47 magzine.
The name of the fellows for the 3rd GNRC media fellowship (2007-08) has been declared. Three promising reporters namely Lakhyajit Gohain (Dainik Janambhumi), Kishore Kumar Bhuyan (Dainik Batori) and Samya Bharadwaj (Amar Asom) have been selected for the three-month long fellowship.The media fellowship programme, conceived by Dr NC Borah, CMD of GNRC Hospital and implemented with the help of Guwahati Press Club is expected to provide the fellows an opportunity to study the present healthcare scenario in Northeast India.Each fellow will receive Rs 10,000 (ten thousand only) per month as remuneration. Till date, seven journalists of Assam have successfully completed the GNRC media fellowship....
Large scale rigging, booth capturing and other forms of violence have marred the third phase of panchayat polls in Hailakandi district. Despite an elaborate security arrangment, rigging have been reported in altogether 400 polling booths out of 621 booths in the Barak valley district.Besides, hundreds of polling officials have been beaten up by the miscreants from early in the morning and even these miscreants severed a hand of polling officer. The cases of violence have forced thousands voters to stay inside their houses. As a result, more than fifty booths failed to drew even a single voter.The annoyed polling officials later set on fire the polling materials at the controlling office...
Rigging and booth capturing is reported in many places of Assam in the third phase of pnachayat polls which is going on. According to information, a booth capturing incident rocked Morigaon district in the first half hours. In Barpeta a few booths have been captured by the miscreants. Similar incidents have been reported in Barak valley also. The voting began at 7 in the morning to end at 5 in the evening. Turn out so far is said to be seventy per cent.
Before the repolling in Raonamukh and Alokpur in Gohpur Assembly constituency on Wednesday miscreants set ablez a bridge in Rajabari. Later police and fire officials rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control. Meanwhile repolling is going on in some centres.