Rare Delhi varsity honour for Mamoni Raisom Spl Correspondent NEW DELHI, Nov 12 – In a rare honour, Dr Indira Goswami has been conferred the title of Professor Emeritus by Delhi University and offered the job of teaching at her old Modern Indian Language Department, even as the eminent novelist and author has held that the Centre should take the initiative to restart the stalled ULFA peace process. In an exceptional departure from past practice, the Department of Modern Indian Language and Literary Studies of Delhi University organised a seminar on works of a living author. The three-day seminar on the topic, ‘Fictional world of Indira Goswami’ is all set to be a huge hit with over 20 authors scheduled to present their papers.
Dr Goswami, better known by her pen name Mamoni Raisom Goswami, said it was a rare honour for her. Usually a seminar is held to deliberate on works of a dead author, but it is rare that a living person’s work is being discussed, she said.
Minutes later, Pro Vice-Chancellor of DU, Professor SK Tandon paying a rich tribute to Dr Goswami, announced that the Academic Committee of the university has cleared a proposal to confer the title of Professor Emeritus on Dr Goswami. Not stopping at that, the Pro Vice-Chancellor offered Dr Goswami the job of teaching at the University’s Assamese Department at least once a month in a year.
Prof Tandon said he had made a similar offer to Dr Goswami, when she was retiring couple of years back. But she declined saying that she had works to do back home, he said.
Students, her ex-colleagues and academicians attended the inaugural session of the national seminar held at Tagore Hall of DU.
Recalling her long association with DU, a visibly moved Dr Goswami said her best works were done during her days at the university. She had joined the university as a lecturer in the Assamese Department in 1970, at a time when she had not even done her PhD.
On the ULFA problem, she observed that everyone in a democracy has a right to voice his or her views. And in a democracy there should be no prejudice, she opined.
On the stalled peace process, Dr Goswami said that following three rounds of talks with PCG, the Government of India had agreed on three-four conditions. But later, it retracted its steps. “Our peace talks continued for three rounds and now it is still hanging, but I still hope for some good news,” she said.
Later, talking to newsmen, she laid the blame on the Centre for derailing the peace process, arguing that even if the Government of India had implemented 30 per cent of the conditions set by ULFA, the peace process might have continued.
In the face of the demands for release of the detained ULFA leaders languishing in jails, the Centre and the Government of Assam broke off negotiations and called off the unilateral ceasefire following reports of ULFA regrouping and indulging in illegal activities like collection of illegal taxes, extortions.
During the three-day session, eminent professors including Jayanti Chattopadhyay, C Raveendran, Dr Deepsikha M Bortamuly, PC Patanaik, besides Uddipana Goswami and Hridayananda Gogoi, among others, are slated to present papers on the works of Dr Goswami.
Rare Delhi varsity honour for Mamoni Raisom