Desk Report, February 13, 2024: Guwahati witnessed a prestigious celebration at the Srimanta Sankardev Kalakshetra as the Assam Gaurav, the third-highest civilian award, was presented to 17 outstanding personalities.
Governor Gulab Chand Kataria bestowed the awards during a ceremony attended by Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar as the chief guest. The recipients, spanning diverse domains, were recognized for their significant contributions.
Among the distinguished awardees are:
●Ranjit Gogoi – Art and Culture (Folk & Bihu Dance Exponent)
●Parvati Barua – Environment & Forest (Animal conservation activist, Human-Elephant conflict expert)
●Debojit Changmai – Art and Culture (Sound Engineer)
●Drono Bhuyan – Art and Culture (Oja Pali)
●Neelam Dutta – Agriculture (Organic Farming)
●Anupam Deka – Entrepreneur (Industrialist)
●Soumyadeep Dutta – Environment & Forest (Wildlife Conservation)
●Basanta Chiring Phukan – Agriculture (Progressive Mushroom Cultivator)
●Manendra Deka – Craft and Bamboo artist (Handicraft)
●Meenakshi Chetia – ASHA Worker (Social Service)
●Pakhila Lekhtepi – Art and Culture (Karbi Folk Singer)
●Tenzing Bodosa – Environment & Forest (Elephant-friendly Tea Estate Establishment)
●Nirmal Dey – Entrepreneur (Shital Pati)
●Jecin Kumbang Pao – Handlooms (Weaving)
●Mary Hassa – AWC (Social Service)
●Upendra Rabha – Agriculture (Black Rice Cultivator)
●Rahul Gupta – Agriculture (Hydroponic Farming)
Prior to this ceremony, the Assam Baibhab, the highest civilian honor, was conferred upon former Chief Justice of India, Ranjan Gogoi.
Meanwhile, the Assam Saurav award recognized four individuals for their remarkable achievements. Elvis Ali Hazarika and Hima Das were honored for their contributions in sports, archaeologist Dr. Kishan Chand Nauriyal for Art and Culture, and Tiwa dance exponent Nadiram Deuri for Art & Culture.
Drawing inspiration from the Bharat Ratna and Padma Awards, the Assam Gaurav and Assam Saurav awards play a pivotal role in acknowledging exemplary contributions across diverse fields. These awards reflect the state government’s commitment to recognizing and celebrating outstanding individuals.
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