A book on the Assamese language movement and bloodshed of 1960 was released by former Vice-Chancellor of Tezpur University, Prof Madan Sharma during a function held at the Jatiya Bhawan, Malow-Ali in Jorhat on Saturday.
The book has been penned by Dr Devabrata Sharma, a research scholar, who is the chief editor of the largest comprehensive dictionary in Assamese, ‘Asomiya Jatiya Abhidhan’.
The 700-page book titled ‘Asomiya Jati Gathan Prokriya (Second part), Asomat Bhasa Andolonar Tragic Trilogy and 1960 Sanar Bhasa Andolon’ has been published after three years of painstaking research by Dr Devabrata Sharma, who is also the principal of Jorhat College (Amalgamated).
He was assisted by Dayasagar Kalita in the project.
Dr Sharma said 150 people were killed, 10,000 houses burnt during the violence that erupted over the establishment of Assamese as an official language in Assam.
He said the research work was done to find out the causes and forces behind the violence.
Family members of the people killed on opposite sides during the violence, attended the book release function.
Family members of Ranjit Borpujari, Girish Deuri, Shisir Nag, Mofizuddin Ahmed, Kalachand Paul and Jotish Ghose were felicitated on the occasion.
Dr Sushanta Kar, a known researcher on language, Upendrajit Mahanta, was among those who addressed the gathering and called for reconciliation.
In the same function, the Assamese translated version of ‘Political Economy of Breast Cancer’ by Santana Sharma, principal of Jorhat Jatiya Vidyalaya and four dramas pertaining to feminism, children and Adivasi women, written by Santana Sharma were also released.