Skip to content Skip to navigation

Assam2008 held in USA

By editor |
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

Submitted by Utpal Kumar Sharma on Sat, 19/07/2008 - 18:02
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

Ultras suspected to be ULFA kidnap top Cement Corp official

Guwahati : There was another high profile kidnapping in Assam. Cement Corporation of India (CCI) official Kailash Nath Jha and his security officer, Madan Kumar Bora were abducted at gun point by suspected militants at a place which falls under Bilai outpost of Bokajan Police Station, about 300 kilometres from Guwahati on Sunday. Police Officials suspect the Karbi Longri National Liberation Front (KLNLF) to be involved in the kidnapping. The KLNLF has very close links to the ULFA as well and hence officials have not ruled out the hand of ULFA in the kidnapping as well. CCI has a cement plant at Bokajan. CCI officials were not available for comments. This high profile kidnapping comes at a...

Eminent Personalities from Northeast: Jitu-Tapan

Way back in the late 1960s, there were two individuals in the then sleepy town of Jorhat who were making and dreaming music in the confines of their homes. The young boys used to go to the local music school, perform in programmes in Assam and create music with rich melodies. Gradually they started capturing the heart and soul of Assam and came to be known as Jitu-Tapan. It so happened that one day the great Mohammad Rafi visited Jorhat in Assam for a show and on the same show there was an orchestra that was presented by the young duo of Assam. Rafi was more than impressed. He called both of them the next day and requested them to teach and compose Assamese songs for him. And “...

Presence of Black Panther found in Pakke Wild Life Sanctuary of Arunachal Pradesh

Arunachal Pradesh is one of the naturally beautiful states of India situated in the foothills of the Himalayas and there we have the Pakke Wild life sanctuary which is fast developing as a hot spot for Tourists. The River Bhareli (known as Kameng in Arunachal Pradesh) is on the northern and western sides of the sanctuary, to the east is the Pakke River and to the south lies the Nameri National Park of Assam. In this sanctuary the endangered Black Panther species is available. The Wild Life Institute of India (W.I.I.), Dehradun and the forest department of Arunachal Pradesh detected the presence of the Black Panther through camera trapping. This collaborative programme that works for tiger...

Community workshop by Aranyak

Nameri National Park: Aranyak is a biodiversity conservation society of North-East India. It organized a workshop on Eco-Camp of Nameri National Park (a tourist resort) on tiger conservation and its problem in NNP. The Brahamaputra valley in Assam is an important stronghold of the Royal Bengal Tiger (Panthera Tigris) in India and facing serious anthropogenic threats that may lead to extinction in future. The Nameri National Park is one of the designated tiger reserves in Assam. As per the latest tiger census carried out by Forest Department, approximately 37 tigers were found in the park. This accounts for 10.6% of the total tiger population of Assam. The organizer invited a variety of...

ULFA had traced me to Philadelphia - Assamese Tea Baron's Biography Released

Guwahati: Noted tea industrialist Hemendra Prasad Barooah has revealed in a new book about being traced by the ULFA to Philadelphia, about his English acquaintance involved in the Great Train Robbery in the UK, and about the search for Dr Bhupen Hazarika's lost Rolex watch one dark night on a street near Sivasagar. The planter, a multifarious personality, who has remained away from media glare, shares many intimate details of his life with eminent journalist Wasbir Hussain in 'Life and Times: Story of an Assamese Tea Baron', an authorized biography. The book, published by Spectrum Publications, Guwahati/New Delhi, was released by chief minister Tarun Gogoi at a function in a...

Firing between ULFA and SULFA

Talap : Reports have come in that there was an exchange of fire between ULFA and SULFA in Talap on Thursday . The Sulfa member, Sriman Chetri managed to escape unhurt. This may be precedence for many such instances in the future.

AJYCP, Gorkha Association withdraw economic blockade against Nagaland

Guwahati : AJYCP, Gorkha Association , have withdrawn the economic blockade that had been in force against Nagaland from last Friday. Post discussions with the Government authorities, the Organsiations have withdrawn the economic blockade.Notably, post the Naga aggression on Assamese villages which had left 3 people dead, the AJYCP, Gorkha Association alongwith the AASU and some other groups had come together to enforce a economic blockade on the roads leading to Nagaland. AASU had earlier withdrawn from the economic blockade on humanitarian grounds on 11thof July 07.

False alarm at Indian Bank, Sibasagar

Sibasagar: There was a false alarm at Sibasagar when police received a call informing them that one Mr Dilip Chetri a ULFA member was on his way to the Indian Bank to deposit a large sum of money there. Police and Army personnel descended on the Bank and waited for almost three hours but no one turned up. Investigations are on.

Floods in Dhemaji District

Dhemaji: Floods are in full flow in Dhemaji. Almost 40,000 people have been displaced after a breach in the embankment of the Jiadhol river. 25 villages are reported to be under water and the people have been stranded at various places. People have taken refugee in schools and colleges. Military helicopters are also dropping food and other essentials, officials said on Friday. A government spokesman said that nearly 120 villages in all in Dhemaji are affected since Thursday. This is the second spate of floods to hit Assam this year after the lull in floods last year

Nasscom to launch NAC for BPO in Northeast and new NAC-Tech in IT

Nasscoms had launched the Assessment and Certification Programme (NAC) for the BPO sector which is a great success. Nasscom is now in the process of launching a similar testing and accreditation offer, NAC Tech, for the IT services, according to Mr Kiran Karnik, Chairman of Nasscom. The NAC was launched as a pilot last year for the BPO sector to ensure transformation of a “trainable” workforce into an “employable” workforce. The pilot was first rolled out in Rajasthan where 2,500 people took the NAC test. By the year-end, NAC for BPO will be rolled out in various States, including Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Chandigarh, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal and the North eastern...