Talk on Lakshminath Bezbaroa held at Gangadhar Meher University

Abhijit Chaliha, Guwahati, October 13: "Sahityarathi Lakshminath Bezbaroa proved to be the most important bridge between Odia and Assamese literature. There is an urgent need for a comparative study of Odia and Assamese literature in vivid aspects." -this view was aired by Dr Satish Chandra Bhattacharya, former vice-principal, Drang College while delivering his speech on Bezbaroa at a function at Gangadhar Meher University in Sambalpur on October 13. Speaking as an invited guest at a special function jointly organized by the Sanskrit and Odia departments of the university, Dr. Bhattacharya also highlighted the depiction of the socio-cultural landscape of Sambalpur region in the great Assamese litterateur Bezbaroa's writings. In this context, he also called upon the students to make a comparative study of the works of Bezbaroa and the contemporary Odia writers along with study of Bezbaroa's writings and lifestyle. Eminent journalist Deepak Panda, convener of Sahityarathi Laxminath Bezbaroa Smruti Raksha Samiti, Sambalpur also spoke on the occasion and apprised the students about Bezbaroa's relationship with Sambalpur and his literary contribution. Dr Pradeep Panda, Professor of Bhima Bhoi chair of the university and eminent poet, while speaking on the occasion, reviewed the importance of comparative study and translation in various languages. He also opined that although the scripts and languages are different, still basically the goal of all the literatures of the world is same and one. He also urged the students of Sambalpur region to read Bezbaroa's writings. In the latter half of the event, a group of researchers interacted with Bezbaroa and his creations with the resource persons present in the function. At the end of the programme, which was chaired by Dr. Lakshmipriya Behera, Head, Department of Odia; Dr. Suneli Dei, Head of Sanskrit Department offered vote of thanks to the gathering. It may be recalled that during his visit to Sambalpur, along with Harekrishna Goswami, a teacher from Assam, Dr. Satish Chandra Bhattacharya made a courtesy call on Dr. N. Nagarjuna, vice-chancellor of Gangadhar Meher University and in this context, two departments of the university organized this special event on literary figure Laxminath Bezbaroa inviting him as the resource person.