Shri Dhanendra Kumar,
Secretary, Department of Culture presented the Shrikant Dutt Memorial
Award for the Best Book on the North-East-2002 at a seminar on
"North-East: Challenges and Response" organised by the
Nehru Memorial Museum and Library (NMML) here today. The award
has been given to late Prof. H.K. Barpujari for his book ‘North-East
India: Problems, Policies and Prospects’ published by the spectrum
Publications, Guwahati.
Shri Kumar also released
a publication brought out by the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library:
a bibliography. This bibliography contains more than 1600 entries
providing information on the geographical, political, economic,
social, religious, educational and cultural aspects of each State
of the North-East. The scope of this volume has been enlarged
by adding material available in the oral history Archives and
Manuscripts collections of this institution.
Speaking on the occasion,
the Secretary pointed out that this seminar seeks to identify
and analyse the social, political, economic, ethnic and linguistic
diversities of the North-East region in a historical perspective.
He said that there has been a general complaint that in writing
the history of India, the main stream historians have neglected
the North-East. He expressed the hope that the proceedings of
this seminar on North-East would help bridge this gap and the
deliberations during the 3 days would throw up useful suggestions
for promoting a peaceful and regenerated the face of North-East.
Dr. O.P. Kejariwal,
Director, NMML in his welcome address said that the seminar –
the biggest ever seminar on North-East outside the North-East
will encompass a wide variety of topics with wide representation
from the region. He said that the NMML is a hub of intellectual
activities and contains the rare wealth of reading material and
manuscripts on the North-East.
Shri Kumar also inaugurated
an exhibition entitled "North-East India" on the occasion.
The exhibition displays the rarest books and documents on the
North-East available with the NMML. With a view to broaden the
understanding of this geographical region, the NMML has organised
a package of events on the North-East which includes the book
exhibition, release of the bibliography on the North-East and
a 3-day seminar.
