Rich tribute paid to Rupkonwar on Shilpi Divas

FROM A CORRESPONDENT

TINSUKIA, Jan 17: Remembering the state’s cultural icon and freedom fighter, Jyoti Prasad Agarwala, on the occasion of Shilpi Divas on Sunday marking his death anniversary, the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) demanded that the Centre should take initiatives to popularize the work of the legendary figure at the tiol level.

AASU observed Shilpi Divas at Laipuli in Tinsukia district of upper Assam. Leaders of the influential students’ union appealed to the government to take steps to popularize the works of the legendary figure of the State.

“Jyoti Prasad is a doyen of Assam but it is matter of great regret no steps have been taken to popularize the works of the cultural icon,” said an AASU leader.

Also known as Ga Shilpi (People’s Artist), the cultural activist was born in 1903. Agarwala was a renowned filmmaker, dramatist, poet and lyricist.

He was the pioneer of filmmaking in the state and made the first Assamese film in 1930s -a time when there was hardly any infrastructure for filmmaking in Assam. Agarwala’s film ‘Joymoti’ released in Calcutta in 1935 was a saga of Ahom princess Soti Joymoti, who was tortured till death by the then Ahom king as she refused to betray her husband Gadapani for the sake of the Ahom kingdom.

Shooting for ‘Joymoti’ was done in ‘Chitraban Studio’ constructed by Agarwala in Bholaguri Tea State temporarily.

AASU earlier had demanded the government to establish two chairs each at Gauhati and Dibrugarh Universities in the me of Jyoti Prasad.

In today’s programme at Laipuli here, along with other office-bearers of the student body, AASU chief adviser Samujjal Kr Bhattacharya was also present. Various cultural programmes were organized on the occasion. A colorful cultural procession was also taken out as a part of the event. 

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