Pakija Begum receives Arun Sarma Award

By our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, MARCH 9: The two-day Wings Theatre Festival in Guwahati concluded recently with the staging of the play Padmapriya by Pakija Begum.

This was followed by giving away of Dr Arun Sarma Samman to Pakija Begum. The chief guest on the occasion was Padmashri Eli Ahmed, a noted litterateur.

Speaking on the occasion, Eli Ahmed laid stress on the importance and significance of art and culture in society. She said: “There will invariably decay in society and loss of values if free expression through arts is not encouraged by the government and people.” Pakija Begum established BA, a cultural organization, in Guwahati in 1995. She has authored a book on children’s play Xarudhemali Bardhemali. She was awarded with the Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar by Sangeet tak Akademi for 2010 for her talent in the field of theatre as an actor. Other programmes held at the function are iuguration of a mini theatre hall by mime expert Mainul Hoque, staging of two plays – Bidhyabalan (Assamese) directed by ren Patgiri and Bade Bhaisahab (Hindi) directed by Dilip Khal.