Friends of Assam and Seven Sisters express deep sorrow and offer trubute to the eminent Assamese author Dr Mamoni (Indira) Raisom Goswami who passed away at the Gauhati Hospital (GMCH) on 29th December.
Winner of India's highest literary honour, Jnanpith, in 2000, Goswami was a recipient of a number of awards and accolades including Sahitya Akademi (1982), Katha Rashtriya Puraskar (1993 and 2000), Kamal Kumari National Award. She was conferred D Lit from Ravindra Bharati of Kolkata. She was involved with various literary, educational and cultural organizations in various capacities. A member of Sahitya Akademi, she was also a member of the governing body of Delhi University.
Adajya, a film based on her well-known novel Datal Hatir Uye Khowa Haoda, won the national award. A peace activist, she was also acted as a mediator for some time for the ULFA peace talks. She visited Europe, USA, Japan, South Korea, different South East Asian countries, etc.
A prolific author, her acclaimed novels include Senehor Srwt (1972), Nilokonthi Brojo (1973), Ahiron (1980), Mamore Dhora Torowal (1980), Dotal Hatir Uye Khowa Haoda (1988), Xonskar, Udoybhanur Soritro Adi (1989), Adhalekha Dostabej, Jokhomi Jatri (1990), Tej Aru Dhulire Dhusorita Pristha etc. Her short story collections include Sinaki Morom (1962), Koina (1966), Hridoy Ek Nodir Nam, and Mamoni Raisam Goswamir Priyo Golpo (1998). etc. Mohiyoxi Komola (1955) is a biography written by her on Dr Kamala Ratnam. Her translated works include Premsondor Suti Golpo, Adhaghonta Xomoy, Jatok Kotha Aru Kolom. One of her popular and controversial novel, which has also been translated into English is 'The Man from Chinnamasta' .(2005) .Set in pre-independence British Assam the novel was written on the practice of animal sacrifice in the Kamakhya temple. Once published, it took Assam by storm because of its subversive nature. The Brahmins especially took offence for her frank demand to remove an ancient practice in the most important Shakti temple of the world. Set in the times of unrest and turmoil at the turn of the twentieth century, the novel paints the hoary history of Assam's most famous temple of the Sakta cult, Kamakhya.
Renowned critic Dr Hiren Gohain said Mamoni Raisom Goswami is one of the most eminent novelists of contemporary India. Her sensitive exploration and vivid portrayal of intense and helpless human suffering in various conditions of life among various classes of people have left an indelible impression in the mind of her readers. Whether it is the victims of partition of the country or of oppression of unorganized labours or abandoned widows in Brindaban or a young widow in the oppressive environment of a traditional sattra, where her human instincts are rigidly suppressed, Mamoni Raisom Goswami shows remarkable empathy and understanding of such agonies. This is her great achievement. As a person also, she reminded us of Abraham Lincoln's words – "With malice towards none, and charity for all."
One of her great literary achievement was also in reviving and popularising the great epic Ramayana to the global community in the modern perspective. In this she was in line with the great Assamese tradition that was started by Madhob Kondoli who translated the Valmiki's Ramayana from Sanskrit into Assamese in the 14th century being the first Ramayana written in any Indian regional language, long berore the Hindi or Bengali counterparts. Xomgkordeva in the 15th century added two missing chapters to this Assamese Ramayana of this 'opromadi purbo-kobi. Dr Goswami's work 'Ramayana: From Ganga to Brahmaputra' is acknowledged as an authoritative work on the subject and she ia regarded an authority on the Ramayana, She played a key role in evoking scholastic interest in the great epic across the world. She was also instrumental in establishing a common platform for international Ramayani scholars.She has received the International Tulsi Award on the occasion of International Conference on "Tulsi Das and His Works" from the Florida International University, Florida , USA.
Read more about her litarary achievement
Please also read below a poem written by one of her fans and followers in the same Ramayana tradition.
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