Treading a different path this summer, the highest body for Assamese language and literature, the Asam Sahitya Sabha organised a camp for school children during their summer vacation with a view to engaging them in different cultural as well as creative works and activities. Aptly billed Rong-mel, the 11-day summer camp got off on July 20 at the Bhagawati Prasad Baruah Bhawan of the Asam Sahitya Sabha in Guwahati amid enthusiastic participants. Noted writer Eli Ahmed inaugurated the camp, an initiative of the cultural sub-committee of the Sabha, as award winning actress Malaya Goswami attended it as the chief guest.

Over 30 young enthusiasts took part in the summer camp, where they learnt different aspects of drama, dance, song, recitation, etc from resource persons like Manik Ahmed, Queen Das, Humayun Choudhury, Jina Rajkumari, Kalpana Barua, Kaushik Borbora, Nasifa Islam Rajbongshi, Jyotsna Deka, Nazia Ahmed and Nilakshi Kalita. Then there were a host of guest trainers like Sabha president Rong Bong Terang, singers Dwipen Barua, Tarali Sarma and Monjyotsna Mahanta, actresses Runu Devi Thakur, Chetana Das and Malaya Goswami, and Sabha secretary general Dr Paramananda Rajbongshi.

After the formal inauguration of the camp on July 20, the ten consecutive days were a unique experience for these young minds as they were taken to a new world every day where they received lessons on various facets of culture — singing, acting, recitation, dancing, et al. And what they learnt in the summer camp came to the fore in a beautiful evening of song and dance on July 31 at the same venue.

It all began with the felicitation of veteran actress Beena Prasad, from whom the children who participated in the summer camp took blessings to start their programme. And as the curtain was raised for the performance, the children, all attired in pure milky white, took the stage with a lamp each in their hand. It was as if a band of young ones were coming out in their endeavour to remove the evil and darkness prevailing in the society today. In fact, a different environment was created altogether in the auditorium as the children sang Jyotiprasad Agarwala’s immortal

creation, Joyo alokamoy, that eulogises the power of light in making a society brighter and prosperous, in a chorus.

It soon followed with another gem by Jyotiprasad Agarwala (Jyotiprasad Koka to the children) — a recitation of the Rupkonwar’s Kumpur Sapon Bhut Powali by two of the participants. Then the camp participants came on stage, batch by batch, to present a variety of items. These included a lively rhythmic presentation of Dr Bhupen Hazarika’s poem Geete Maate Ek-Dui-Tini, recitation of the poem Rongmel composed by Nazia Ahmed, a scintillating jhumur dance, another chorus of Humayun Choudhury’s Jonmoni, Sonmoni aru Monimala, Jonbair desholoi jaba neki, and others.

Then there were some young children who participated in the beautiful Goalpariya folk composition Bhalo kariya bajaore dotara... While some sang the folk number with their hearts out, some took the stage in colourful attires to dance to the tunes. The tiny tots of the summer camp were also not lagging behind, as they turned into some lovely lotus flowers swaying in the breeze to the tunes of Bishnu Rabha’s evergreen number Bilote halise dhunia padumi...

The evening also saw the enactment of a short play titled Jhulan Jatra. In this short play, written by Nasifa Islam Rajbongshi, the children also displayed their theatrical talent as they showed immense potential to merge themselves in the stage acts with right timing, body gestures, as also dialogue delivery.

At the end of the day, Sabha secretary general Dr Rajbongshi was a happy man due to the successful culmination of the Rong-mel, as he elaborated on the literary body’s plan to take such children’s summer camp to every district of Assam, while evincing keen interest in taking these young talents outside the State in cultural exchange programmes. He, along with personalities like Bhavaniprasad Adhikari, Upen Rabha Hakasam, Radha Bora, Habibur Rahman and Mrinal Chakravarty, later distributed certificates and packets of books among the participating children, while wishing them success in their lives. Asam Sahitya Sabha sure deserves praise for such a novel endeavour to help children imbibe culture in such a meaningful way.

Mridumoloy