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SIVASAGAR: The Sivasagar district unit of the All Assam Students' Union (AASU) on Thursday conferred the prestigious Lakshminath Bezbaruah Award for 2025 on Dr Shri Shri Pitambar Dev Goswami, Satradhikar of Auniati Xatra. The award ceremony was held at the Kali Prasad Memorial Hall in Sivasagar in a solemn and culturally rich atmosphere.
Instituted in 2022, the state-level award recognizes eminent personalities for their significant contributions to Assam's language, literature and cultural heritage. Dr Goswami was honoured this year for his notable role in preserving and promoting the state's spiritual and cultural traditions.
The programme was presided over by Manab Hazarika, president of Sivasagar District AASU, while general secretary Dipankar Saikia conducted the proceedings. AASU General Secretary Samiran Phukan attended as the chief guest. Among other distinguished attendees were Arundhati Bezbaruah, Cultural Secretary Bitupan Sharma and executive member Rangorosh Mahanta.
The programme began with a soulful Borgeet performance by students of the Raag-Ragini Music Training Centre under the guidance of Anudhriti Mahanta. The award was formally presented to Dr Goswami amid applause from attendees.
In his acceptance speech, Dr Goswami paid tribute to Lakshminath Bezbaruah, highlighting his immense contributions to Assamese literature across genres including poetry, short stories, novels and humour. He described Bezbaruah as a pioneer and "Rasaraj" who enriched the literary landscape with works such as Burhi Aair Xadhu, Teton Tamuli and Chikarpati Nikarpati.
Emphasizing the significance of cultural freedom, he noted that any restriction on culture would weaken the soul of a nation. He also expressed gratitude to AASU, calling it a vigilant guardian of Assamese identity.
Addressing the gathering, Phukan stressed the need to preserve Bezbaruah's ideals for future generations. The event was attended by several noted personalities, including Makhan Chandra Bora, Dwijen Gogoi, Prema Gogoi and Dipali Bhattacharya Baruah, along with over a hundred AASU members and well-wishers.
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