“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
Keeping in view of the current flood situation in Assam where many have lost their lives and have been rendered homeless, a meeting was held at the initiative of The Assam Association, Mumbai on 8th July 2012.The meeting which was attended by the executive committee of the Assam Association,Mumbai and Shri Devashish Sharmah Dy.Resident Commissioner of Assam Bhawan Mumbai along with other members. The meeting took unanimous decision to form a FLOOD RELIEF COMMITTEE under the chairmanship of Padmashree Jahnu Baruah in order to extend heartfelt support and solidarity towards the prevailing situation in Assam and extend all possible help to the flood affected people.The contribution for flood...
India Against Corruption on Saturday demands a thorough probe into the attack Akhil Gogoi. The party further alleged role of a section of local Congress party workers in the incident.In a statement issued on Saturday, the organisation said that Gogoi was attacked by a group of Youth Congress activists at the instance of Agriculture and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Nilamani Sen Deka.According to the organization, Congress party is now desperately indulging in hooliganism through its goons. Gogoi is currently admitted in a hospital. Reports from Guwahati said that one person had been arrested so far.
Noted social activist Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday strongly criticized the attack on RTI activist Akhil Gogoi on Friday. Kejriwal said that the country will not tolerate such heinous acts. According the police, Gogoi who had gone to Punni village in Dharmapur area of the district to take stock of the flood situation, was allegedly attacked with sticks and other sharp weapons.
The 12 hour Nalbari district bandh called to protest against the incident disrupted normal life in the area on Saturday. Shops and business establishments and banks and educational institutions in the district headquarter town of Nalbari remained closed but there was no impact on movement of traffic on the national highway. He has already lodged an FIR against Congress leader and President of Dharmapur youth Congress committee Ratul Patowary and five others. The KMSS leader also flayed the role of police and their alleged inaction.
Attack on KMSS leader Akhil Gogoi evokes strong protest across the state even as police arrested a local Congress leader hours after the attack. Search was on for five others allegedly involved in the assault. Nalbari youth Congress has denied its involvement in the attack and said that the charges leveled by the KMSS leader had no basis. Gogoi, who sustained injury on his face and waist after being attacked by bamboos and sharp weapons, managed to reach Nalbari Sadar police station. Gogoi, who is undergoing treatment in the Nalbari Swahid Mukunda Kakati civil hospital and referred to the Guwahati medical college hospital here, has refused to leave Nalbari until the five other accused were...
Cachar district erupts in a fresh orgy of tension following the death of a person in police custody on Friday night.Identified as Ajijur Rahman, a 55 year old man died a day after he was picked up in connection with the July 4 clash between two communities at Kallain. A police official was suspended to get rid of a violent protest on Saturday. Ajijur had complained of uneasiness and was taken to the local hospital. He was referred to Silchar Medical College Hospital but died on the way. Rahman's family members had filed an FIR at Kallain police station. A clash broke out at Kallain and adjacent areas during the 12-hour Barak valley bandh by Hindu Jagran Manch that left 22 injured and led...
The overall flood situation in remains grim on Saturday. The toll has gone up to 121. The water level of Brahmaputra and its tributaries are refusing to recede except for some places in upper Assam. According to official sources, the water level of the Brahmaputra and its tributaries were showing receding trend following cessation of rainfall in most of the 27 affected districts but it is still above the danger mark.
The flash flood has taken lives of around 540 animals in the Kaziranga National Park. Around 75 percent area of the famed park has been inundated by the flood. According to information, the victims include 28 wild boars and 16 sambars apart from 465 hog deer and 13 rhinos. Around 20 lakh people have become homeless due to the flood that affected 27 districts in the state following the week-long torrential rains.
One person died and four others sustained serious injury at a sensational shoot out in the district on Friday. The incident took place in Amthihara at around 8-30 in the evening where unidentified miscreants started firing at a group of people. One person died and six others have been injured. The deceased was identified as Nurul Haque while the injured persons, identified as, Sakim Ali, Safikul Islam, Saiful Haque and Majibur Rahman have been rushed to the hospital.
Assam Assembly Speaker Pranab Gogoi on Friday ordered police to take up the complaint lodged against MLA Rumi Nath and her second husband who illegally entered his residence and assaulted visitors on the suspicion that they were involved in the attack on them last week.
Speaker Gogoi has issued a letter to the Dispur police station to investigate into the issue. The police said the FIR was filed after Purkayastha faxed the complaint to the Dispur police station during the day. Purkayastha alleged that Nath, her second husband Jacky Jakir and two security guards forcibly entered his official residence at the Dispur capital complex late last night and beat up and injured four visitors and a...
Comments
Pages
Add new comment