ASSAM SAHITYA SABHA

About:

The Assam Sahitya Sabha, a non-governmental, non-profit literary organization founded in 1917, promotes the culture of Assam and Assamese literature. 

History:

* Assam Sahitya Sabha has its roots in the early 19th century, with efforts since 1872 to establish organizations for the development of Assamese language, literature, and culture.

• * In December 1895, Sahitya Kandari Padmanath Gohain Baruah established Kohima Sahitya Sabha in Nagaland, India.
• * The Sabha was founded by Padma Nath Gohain Baruah as the Founder Secretary and Nabin Chandra Bhattacherjee as the Founder President. The Sabha produced notable figures like Govinda Chandra Paira, Dhan Bahadur Sonar, and Hari Prasad Gorkha Rai, who received literary pensions from the Assam Government. The Sabha remains active and has a Bhawan located opposite Nagaland Police Headquarters.
• * The culmination of all their efforts was the 1917 establishment of the Assam Sahitya Sabha. The inaugural conference took place on December 26th, with Padmanath Gohain Baruah serving as its first president. First secretary was Sarat Chandra Goswami. It was organised at the time under the name "Sodou Axom Sahitya Sanmilani." It was registered as "Axom sahitya Sabha" in May of 1924, and the previous name was finally changed in 1944.

Objectives:

• * Developing Assamese language, literature, and culture.
• * Publication of dictionaries, research works, monographs, literary criticism books, and works of Assamese writers.
• * Research and collection of ancient Assamese literature.
• * Financial assistance for writers struggling with publishing costs.
• * Promotion of Assamese music, art, and sculpture.
• * Publication of Assamese language and literature through leaflets and pamphlets.
• * Promotion of exchange plans between Literature and Culture.

Notable attributes:

• * Chandradhar Barua Goaipara was president in 1918, Kaliram Medhi in 1919, Hemchandra Goswami in 1920, and Amrit Bhushan Dev Adhikari in 1923.
• * Nalinibala Devi was the first woman president in 1954, whereas Dr. Surjya Kanta Hazarika is the current president of the Assam Sahitya Sabha
• * A team, including former President of Assam Sahitya Sabha, Dr. Paramananda Rajbongshi, met with the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) working group II to demand an independent digital identity for the Assamese script. The Indian Government accepted the Unicode Standard in 2000, but the Unicode Consortium added two Assamese characters to the Bengali script, presenting them as Bengali characters.
• * A Singapore Sahitya Sabha branch was launched in Singapore in July 2019, further strengthening the organization's presence in the region.
• * Asam Sahitya Sabha Patrika, an official journal of the Sabha, was founded by Chandradhar Barua in October 1927.

At a Glance (Frequently asked): 

• * Established in 1917 for Assamese language, literature, and culture development
• * Emerged from two Kolkata-based bodies: 'Asamiya Bhasha Unnati Sadhini Sabha' and 'Assamese Intermediate society'
• * First president: Padmanath Gohain Barua 
• * First Secy: Sarat Chandra Goswami
• * Central office in Jorhat, nine regional offices across Assam and over 1,000 branches
• * Seven branches outside the state, including Kohima, Aizawl, Shillong, Pasighat, Kameng, New Delhi, Mumbai, and three abroad.