Assam Convention in Down Under

The Assamese Community of Australia and New Zealand celebrated the second Assam Convention Australia, in Melbourne on the 28^th& 29^th September 2018 with much fanfare and enthusiasm. After the remarkable success of the first Assam Convention in Sydney in the year 2016, this was again a wonderful opportunity for the Assamese diaspora of Australia and New Zealand to meet, greet and celebrate the cultural heritage of our beautiful Assam.

The two day convention started with the Friday night Meet & Greet event on 28^thSeptember 2018. This informal gathering provided a perfect opportunity for the people from all over Australia and New Zealand to mingle with one another and establish long term relationships. Strategy Meeting of Assam Convention was also held that evening to deliberate on various strategies to move the community forward in the right direction. The gala event started with the singing of the national anthems of India and Australia, followed by the Assamese state anthem, ‘O Mur Apunar Dex’ by the young children of Melbourne. The major highlights of the Meet & Greet event were an exhibition of Assamese traditional handicraft and artefacts, including traditional textiles and various Assamese musical instruments,fascinating show of magic and illusion by the world-renowned Australian illusionist Tim Ellis, Quiz competition based on Assam and Australia and sumptuous home cooked meal with all kinds of mouth-watering Assamese delicacies.

September 29^th was the much-awaited day of the Cultural Night of the convention. It was held in the majestic Collingwood Town Hall of Melbourne. The evening commenced with the lighting of the lamp – ‘Bonti Projjolon’ by the coordinators from each Australian state and territory -ACT&NSW, Victoria, Western Australia, South Australia, Queensland and New Zealand.This was followed by a welcome speech by a member of Vic Assam, Melbourne and the launching of the second edition of the souvenir magazine, “Xomonnoy” by the Guest of HonourDr. Sundaram Sivamalai, Commissioner, Victorian Multicultural Commission.

The asset of a culture is reflected not only through its art, music, custom, and culture but also its capability of giving something back to the society. Keeping this vision in mind, few Assamese community members from Melbourne started a non-profit organization called SESTAA (Society for Empowerment, Service, Training and Awareness, Australia) in 2009. SESTAA has been pioneering to help the disabled and disadvantaged people, especially children, in Assam since its inception. On Friday and Saturday, the secretary of SESTAA gave a brief overview of the activities of the organization and also conducted a fundraising activity, which saw generous contributions from the community members present.

This edition of the Assam Convention Australia was dedicated to the memory of Late Dr. Pranjal Bora from Perth who was not only a very popular member of the Assamese community but also a musician of great repute. A visual life story of late Dr. Bora was presented, which touched the heart of all in the audience. The president of ACT & NSW paid tributes to other members of the community that we have lost in the past two years.

The cultural show started with a ‘Ram Vandana’ by the member of New Zealand who beautifully presented “Ram Kotha.” This vandana began with “Nandi Sloka” which is sung in praise of Lord Ram and followed by a bhatima of Ankiya Naat. Similarly, ‘Dashavatar Nritya’ from Sydney was also another outstanding performance in the beginning of the cultural night.

The talented children from Melbourne presented wonderful traditional dance performances and it was delightful to see young children presenting Assamese culture to the broader community. Another team from Melbourne beautifully performed ‘Sattriya Krishna Avatar’ and ‘SattriyaHajoali’ dance which undoubtedly added cultural value to the event.

Young members Assam Association of Western Australia enchanted the audience with their magnificent performance of fusion dance number in the tunes Bihu and Bollywood that celebrates the spirit of childhood. Western Australia’s Rangdhali Dance Troupe’s dance performance on late Dr. Pranjal Bora’s final remix and music arrangement beautifully reflected the new age Assam through a myriad of ethnic and modern dances.

South Australia’s ‘Kathak dance in Ganesh Vandana’ by a group of young ladies captured everyone’s heart with their unique take on Kathak– a classical Indian dance by mixing the spirit of the recent Ganapati celebrations with a contemporary dance fusion and ending it with some foot tapping Carnatic music. Another group from South Australia also enraptured the minds of all with a beautiful chorus of ‘Boroxa Tumi Aha’.

The youngsters from Sydney mesmerized the convention crowd with their amazing western dance moves. A group of ladies from Sydney performed amazing dance to the tunes of ‘Majuli and Namami Brahamputra’ adding a delightful ambience to the cultural function. The in between narration and composition of dance creation was simply superb.

A father-son duo from Canberra captivated the audience with their fabulous performance of Mime. The mime act had two parts ‘Nava Prajanma’ (New Generation) and ‘Chorak More Pale’ (A thief in trouble). Another outstanding performance from Canberra was traditional Assamese solo fused with Bollywood tinge. One of the most anticipated performances of the Convention was Bihu husoriby Melbourne Bihu dolwhose energetic performance created the atmosphere of a Bihu Toli of Assam and surely galvanized the gathered crowd.

The cultural evening also featured popular Sydney based Assamese band Jantroz’s sparkling performance of old and new Assamese melodies. These melodies were performed by the talented Sydney-Melbourne artists, which further added beauty to the evening.

Another mesmerising attraction was the ‘Medley’- that would walk everyone through the different pages of Assamese music and gave a complete picture of Assam’s rich cultural heritage. Team Sydney meticulously and beautifully compiled a combination of music to give a glimpse of the varied melody of Assam. It comprised of Tiwa Geet, Karbi Geet, Bodo Geet, Mishing Xuria Bihu, Biyanaam, Jura Naam, and old Assamese melodies. Similarly, Melbourne team’s Medley comprised of Borgeet, Jikir, Bihu XuriaGeet, Bihu Geet, Bollywood Melodies, and Old and new Assamese songs. Both the teams’ spellbinding musical ensembles took the audience to the land of the blue hills and the mighty river Brahmaputra.

The Assamese diaspora was privileged to have ‘Bihu Guru’ Dr. Prasanna Gogoias the honourable guest artist for the Convention. Dr. Gogoi who is an Ethnomusicologist, Master Craftsman, and an Artiste of international repute, presenting Bihu and Assamese Folk music & dance in more than 25 countries. Dr. Gogoi and his team comprising of talented artists from Sydney, Melbourne and New Zealand presented spellbonding performances during the show. He along with a Melbourne based indigenous folk artist, Antony Hume, delighted the audience with a fusion of Assamese and Aboriginal folk music with the help of ‘Juria Pepa’and the ‘Didgeridoo’. The show reached a pinnacle when both Dr. Gogoi and Mr. Antonyexchanged and played each other’s musical instruments. Undoubtedly, their performance would be remembered by the Assamese community for a long time to come.

The audience participated wholeheartedly in many of the performances and enjoyed the evening to its fullest. The second Assam Convention Australia successfully brought the entire Assamese community of Australia and New Zealand to a single platform creating a real sense of togetherness and brotherhood. It will forever remain a cherished memory for everyone involved. The Assamese community of Melbourne’s fantastic arrangement and extraordinary hospitality no doubt helped in making the second Assam Convention Australia a grand success.

The Assamese community’s popularity and recognition are spreading all over Australia and New Zealand gradually. These Assamese residents of Australia and New Zealand’s continuous effort have made the bond of Assam’s cultural and literary heritage more powerful and effective through this noble platform of Assam Convention Australia.

by Shrutidhara Kaushik

(mampi18@gmail.com)

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