“My father Sir Keith Cantlie served in the Indian Civil Service from 1910 till his retirement in 1947. So, in a way I consider myself daughter of Assam, a land of outstanding natural beauty with distant views of the snow and Himalayas”
With her disarming smile simple down to earth and smiling manner the bespectacled Dr. Audrey Cantlie welcomes you with a big smile at her door at Oxford street as if somebody of her own. She has an emotional bond for Assam and the Assamese people.
I still remember the day I met her sometime in September, 1998 at SOAS (School of Oriental and African Studies, London) I introduce myself as an Assamese I could see the sparkle in her eyes: said to me "How many Assamese people are in London? I love to meet them". Dr. Audrey Cantlie was born in Shillong in 1923. She spent her six years in Jorhat where her father was Deputy Commissioner. So, in some ways she consider herself a daughter of Assam.
After taking a degree in Sociology at the London School of Economics, she returned to Assam for fieldwork and carried out a study of a village near Jorhat, which was later published under the title of ‘The Assamese’. It is perhaps the only intensive work done in the plains of Assam and I like to think of it as a small contribution to understanding a unique way of life and, more particularly, the religion founded by Sankardeva.
After working on the staff at the London School of Economics. She moved to the School of Oriental and African Studies where I still teach part-time to the present day.
Few weeks after we have organized the 550th Sankar Jayanti at Wembley when we invited her as our chief guest. The speech she delivered about Sankardev was so informative. Since then Dr. Cantlie always shares every Assamese Community function in London. Her guidance and support is very valuable to me at my work in a women oriented matter.
From studying, Sociology at the London School of Economics and to teach at (School of Oriental and African Studies. Her beautiful past as an Assamese is still in her mind. She wrote “The Assamese” dedicated to the memory of her father Sir Keith Cantlie who served 40 years in the state of Assam. How beautifully she expressed the qualities of Assamese people in this book.
Call her a professor, teacher, academician for rest of our Assamese society in London she is just our “Cantlie baidew”
During her stay at Guwahati, we have organised an interactive session with teachers, academicians, journalists and students at Sudmersen Hall, Cotton College on Wednesday 13 February, 2008 at 4:00pm.
PermalinkSubmitted by Utpal Hazarika on Sun, 16/11/2008 - 01:32
I am from BANI MANDIR, a publication house from Assam since 1949. Many people want to buy this book, but due to the price 99% people cannot effort. If I get the publication right I can reprint the in Indian cheaper price and most of the people can buy and can preserve the book. I tried with the author but could not contact. Can anybody passon this message to the author of the this book.Thanks.
Utpal Hazarika
banimandir@gmail.com
The acrimony over the molestation incident in Guwahati seems to have spread to New Delhi when hundreds students staged dharna in front of the Assam House on Friday. The outrage against the incident continued as members of the civil society staged a protest before the Assam Bhavan in the national. The protestors met the Resident Commissioner of Assam in New Delhi and urged him to ask Dispur to take strict action against the incident.
The Assam government on Friday set up a one-member inquiry commission on the recent incident in the heart of the city. Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi has set up the panel under Additional Chief Secretary Amili Chaudhary who has been asked to file the report by the next 15 days. Gogoi, who has directed DGP to nab all the culprits, has ordered disciplinary action against police officials found guilty of dereliction of duty. Opposition BJP also took out a protest rally in Guwahati against the 'failure' of the state government on the law and order front.
Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on Friday inaugurated a solar power plant at IIM-Shillong campus to meet the needs of the institute. Gogoi inaugurated a 50 KW solar power plants aimed at providing clean energy to the IIM campus in Shillong. He said that armed struggle can’t change the face of a nation. According to him, it can be resolved only through economic development and by providing employment opportunities.
Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on Friday said that his government was keen to settle the border row with Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh. Participating at a function at Indian Institute of Management-Shillong, Gogoi said that the north east must live peacefully as good neighbours. The chief minister was greeted with black flags by the Khasi Students Union alleging encroachment on Meghalaya lands in Lampih.
Debabrata Maji of Mechanical Engineering Department of North Eastern Regional Institute of Science and Technology (NERIST) was awarded the prestigious ‘Rajiv Gandhi Excellence Award-2012 (instituted in the memory of Late Shri Rajiv Gandhi) from Sriprakash Jaiswal, Hon’ble Minister of Coal, Govt. of India, New Delhi in a glitering function of the presentation ceremony held on July 10, 2012 at Speaker Hall, Constitution Club, New Delhi. This award is presented by Seemapuri Times, a Lucknow-based News Magazine. This award presented to Maji for his Excellence in work, meritorious services, outstanding performance and remarkable role.
North Eastern Development Finance Corporation Ltd (NEDFi) has joined the relief effort to give succor to the victims of the devastating flood that has recently swept across the state of Assam. A team was sent to Nalbari district with provisions, mosquito nets, tarpaulin sheets, baby food etc. Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi flagged off the effort. B P Muktieh, CMD NEDFi was present during the flag off ceremony.
The Assam government has set up a panel of additional chief secretary PP Verma to probe the attack on Congress MLA Rumi Nath and her second husband Jacky Zakir at Karimganj on June 30 last. He will inquire into all aspects related to the incident and submit a report within 15 days. The Commission would also inquire into the circumstances leading to the attack. The Commission would also draw up a list of directives to be followed in case of a similar situation arising in the future.
Somewhere, a wall of mountains, frames the western horizon, where mighty waters follow their inevitable course, where crisp clean air rolls in from thick alpine forests, where tall prairie grasses bend gently in the breeze, there is a spirit, there is a welcome, there is a place called "Calgary" . It is the heart of the new west in North America. A fast growing city in the province of Alberta, Canada. On July 30th & July 1st 2012 more than 200 people came from different parts of the world including all over Canada, US¸ New Zealand and India. This convention at hotel Sheraton Cavalier was an International affair, the 33rd major social event of the Assamese community living in North...
Good news for Assam and its people. The state’s evergreen Bihu will be shining in the London Olympic slated for August. Bihu exponent Ranjeet Gogoi and his team have been invited to perform in the opening London Olympic ceremony. Gogoi and his team are scheduled to leave for London very soon. This has brought cheers for millions of people in Assam.
A major boost awaits Manas sanctuary in Assam along with the tea industry. DoNER has approved a comprehensive tourism master plan to be implemented by the North Eastern Region prepared by Tata Consultancy Services. The TMP will be implemented in three phases over a period of ten years and a total investment of Rs 3654.84 crore has been outlined for the implementation of various components and projects of the TMP. Nine inter-state tourism circuits have been identified in the TMP and will be taken up for development in the first phase.
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