The demise of the man who gave sensuousness a new dimension through use of imagery that brought alive the rhythm of the descending mists and the smell of the harvest, has created a void in the cultural world of Asom. As the news spread, people flocked to the residence of the poet to pay their last homage. Born in the year 1926, Mahanta had served in various capacities as teacher, editor, writer of children literature, translator and actively participated in the freedom movement. A socially committed writer, Mahanta depicted the pangs of the exploited class in his poems.

To celebrate the occasion a Diamond Jubilee Celebration Committee has been formed under the chairmanship of the Principal, Assam Medical College, Dibrugarh. The committee has decided to celebrate a year-long programme starting from November 3, 2006 and to be completed on November 3, 2007 in the college.

Products of painstaking research, the first-named titled is a compilation of Bihu dance and songs, besides customs associated with the festival. Thought-provoking aspects involving staging of Bihu sanmilans have also been discussed. The second book is incidentally the third edition printed on demand, and is a critical study of Bihu songs and dance.

Books – fiction, non-fiction or poetry – used to be among the preferred gifts till around the later part of the last century. Now, they would perhaps be among the least favoured, revealed a bookseller in Panbazar, the hub of book selling and publishing.

A large number of families, visitors, and others with cultural ties to Asom gathered in Richmond Hill, on the occasion..

Bihu was organised by Rajib Barman, Mandir Panchanan, Parvez Rahman, and Dhritiman Hazarika. There was a door prize lottery for the guests, a prize for the best performer in the cultural show and a prize for best Assamese dressed couple/family. Tafizur Rahman and Saleha Rahman and Dalima Jeffrey offered their helping hands in selecting the best performer in the cultural show, and bihu gifts for children respectively.

The function succeeded with the release of the “Samayik”- the magazine of the association by Dr. Hemeswar Dihingia, the septuagenarian writer. The magazine is edited by Smt. Protima Thakuria and cover design was tastefully done in Bihu motif by Ms. Priyanka Das. The magazine has a mix of writings, experience sharing, poems, news, and other variety articles by established and amateur writers.

In the meantime 18 months have passed and people are still experiencing tough times, much to their chagrin, with unscheduled load-shedding harassing the public and even causing extensive damage to their household electrical gadgets. Well, the step in regard to the ASEB was, of course, taken as part of the reform measures and strongly felt indispensable for the organization. There was also an anticipation as to a meaningful and result-oriented change in its style of functioning.