“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
Majuli, the Asia's largest river island faces a serious threat of being washed away. Days are not far if urgent treatment continues to elude. According to information, as many as 72 villages in Majuli have been submerged by the flood waters. The surging waters of the mighty Brahmaputra threaten to ravage the historic vaishnative monastery of Kamalabari. Many roads in the island have been submerged. In Jorhat, water has risen to dangerous levels at Nimatighat and the main dyke in the area is under threat of submergence. Around 400 families in the area have been affected.
Kaziranga National Park is reeling under devastating flood wave forcing the birds and animals to leave the famed site. Animals from the world heritage site is moving to highlands. But the situation is going fropm bad to worse from Sunday. The park authorities have been closely monitoring the situation to save the animals who are shifting to the nearby hills.
According to water resource department sources, the water levels of the Brahmaputra and its tributaries are likely to rise during the next 24 hours where more new areas may come under the surging waters.
Flood situation takes a devastating turn on Monday following incessant rainfall during the last 24 hours.The water levels of the Brahmaputra and is tributaries are rising alarmingly and the waters spilling to more and more areas where over 3 lakh people have been rendered homeless.
The situation deteriorated on Sunday when rains breached dykes in parts of Sonitpur and Lakhimpur districts inundating several villages where a huge tracts of cropland have been ravaged. The current wave has so far claimed eight lives beside affecting nearly 3 lakh people.
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Music is a language that binds people together and that is exactly what the Celebration Of World Music Day at Blue Berry Hill, Goa did on June 21. With the theme Celebrating Together In Harmony, the Music Mania Foundation of Goa brought artistes from around India and gathered at one place to perform and explore different genres of music.
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The Science Express-Biodiversity Special train of the Union ministry of environment and forest arrived at Kamakhya railway junction in Guwahati on Saturday. The special train was inaugurated jointly by the mission director of Sarva Sikhsha Abhijan, L S Changsang and N F Railways general manager R S Virdi.
Eight of the coaches are dedicated to showcasing the biodiversity of the northeast, trans-Himalaya and Himalayas, Gangetic plain, desert and semi-arid zone, western ghat, Deccan peninsula, coasts and islands. The other coaches exhibit climate change, energy, water conservation and petroleum among the other branches of science. The train will be here for four days.
Yet another mid air mishap was averted in Guwahati on Saturday. An Indian Air Force aircraft on Saturday made a 'delayed landing' at the Lokpriyo Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport. But according to defence sources, there was no technical problem in the craft.
The IL-76 'Gajraj' aircraft, flying to Delhi from Bangalore via Guwahati, developed "certain problems mid-air and made a delayed landing as necessary arrangements were made on the ground in case there was emergency. The aircraft circled over the airport for nearly two hours before landing. Airport Authority of India made the arrangements for the landing and to deal with any emergency.
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