Assam: Eminent Litterateur Dr Nagen Saikia conferred with Sadasya Varenya

A CORRESPONDENT

DIBRUGARH: Eminent Assamese litterateur, educationist, and former President of the Axam Xahitya Xabha (AXX), Dr Nagen Saikia, was conferred with the Xabha’s highest honour — the Sadasya Varenya title — at a grand felicitation ceremony held at the Rameshwar Lal Saharia  Sanghati Bhawan in Dibrugarh on Saturday.

The award was presented by Dr Basanta Kumar Goswami, President of the AXX, in the presence of distinguished personalities, litterateurs, and academics from across Assam.

Overcome with emotion while accepting the award, Dr Saikia’s voice quivered and tears rolled down his cheeks as he expressed heartfelt gratitude for the recognition.

“This is one of the happiest and saddest days of my life,” Dr Saikia said in an emotional address. “Due to my ill health, I am deprived of the full joy of this moment. Yet, I feel deeply blessed to receive such love and affection from all of you. This will remain the most precious treasure of my life. The AXX is not just an institution — it is the soul of our national life.”

Expressing concern over the socio-political state of Assam, Dr Saikia remarked, “We are living through a time of great crisis. If we fail to stand united as a people against these challenges, we may never regain the Assam that once was. The image of a resurgent Assam seems to be tarnished. We must ask ourselves whether we are truly guiding our state on the right path.”

The revered scholar further added that language is not merely a symbol of respect but a medium of connection. “All Indian languages must work together. I am but a humble worker of the Assamese language. Assam is my mother and my cradle. Only when we remain united as Assamese can we shine as true citizens of this land,” Dr Saikia said.

The Sadasya Varenya honour comprises a traditional phulam gamosa, seleng chadar, phulam japi, memento, citation, angavastra, and a set of books, among other gifts. The event commenced with the lighting of the ceremonial lamp in front of a portrait of the Late music icon Zubeen Garg by Dr Basanta Kumar Goswami, General Secretary Devojit Bora, and Dibrugarh University Vice-Chancellor Dr Jiten Hazarika.

Following the formal proceedings, a red sandalwood sapling was planted in the premises of the AXX’s Dibrugarh regional office to mark the occasion.

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