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SIVASAGAR: Recent rainfall caused damage to one of the five statues of prominent Assamese literary and cultural figures installed at the Lakshminath Bezbaruah Memorial Park, located at Amolapatty in the heart of Sivasagar town.
The statues were installed several years ago by the Axam Xahitya Xabha with support from local intellectuals and funding from the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), to honour five legendary personalities of Assamese language, literature, and culture: Hemchandra Goswami, Padmanath Gohain Baruah, Hemchandra Baruah, Dr Bhupen Hazarika, and Dr Mamoni Raisom Goswami.
However, the installation had no proper overhead shelter to protect the statues. As a result, the recent incessant rain caused the statue of Bhaxar Oja Hemchandra Baruah, creator of the Hemkosh dictionary, to detach from its base and fall backward. Temporary measures were taken by officials of the Sivasagar District Xahitya Xabha, who propped up the statue using bamboo supports to prevent further damage.
In a joint press statement, the Indian Patriotic Federation Socialist (IPFS) and the Nikhil Axom Samajwadi Janaganatantrik Ganaswaraj Party emphasized the cultural and historical importance of the statue. They called for immediate repairs to the statue of Hemchandra Baruah, as well as maintenance and repainting of the other statues.
Senior journalist and State Coordinator of IPFS, Pranjal Rajguru, stated in a press release that Jayanta Baruah, a prominent entrepreneur and social worker of Assam, should take the lead in this restoration initiative. The appeal urged Baruah to collaborate with senior Xahitya Xabha members and voluntarily bear the costs associated with the restoration, citing his long-standing commitment to Assamese heritage and community development.
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