As the Assam Agricultural University (AAU) began its Golden Jubilee celebration, there seems to be a clear case of disparity between the premier university’s Jorhat and Khanapara campuses.
The celebrations commenced on April 1, the foundation day of the University, with the inauguration of a new arched gateway at Jorhat campus. The elegant arched gateway was inaugurated by the vice-chancellor K M Bujarbaruah.
Around 3,000 people participated in a cultural procession in Jorhat on Tuesday to celebrate the golden jubilee year of Assam Agricultural University. The parade was led by the vice chancellor, students and faculty members in the traditional costume of the eight states of northeast.
Colourful tableaus depicting the works of the university marched its way through the downtown of Jorhat. Transforming Agriculture is the theme of the Golden Jubilee celebrations. Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu is scheduled to attend the valedictory function of the Golden Jubilee celebrations on April 17.
Surprisingly, the spirit of the Golden Jubilee celebration at the College of Veterinary Science campus at Khanapara in Guwahati is rather lacklusture.
“Forget a new arched gateway; the emblem on the main entry gate of the College of Veterinary Science is missing and the university authority is not bothered at all,” Kabya Joti Bora, an alumnus of the college told Northeast Now on Saturday.
Bora said the emblem of the College of Veterinary Science in Khanapara is a symbol of pride for the thousands of veterinarians who passed out of the institute for the last 50 years. Interestingly, vice-chancellor K M Bujarbaruah is also an alumnus of the institute.
“Don’t know who is to be blamed for the shame. But, the university management should take immediate steps to restore the emblem at the main entrance,” Bora said, adding that students and teachers of the premier veterinary college should join hands to immediately put back the emblem.
When contacted, Ranjit Kumar Saud, spokesperson of the Assam Agricultural University said he did not know that the emblem of the College of Veterinary Science at Khanapara has gone missing from the main gate of the premier institute.
Also read: Spectacular procession marks Assam Agricultural University’s golden jubilee celebration
“I will speak to the vice-chancellor and find out the reasons behind the missing emblem at Khanapara,” Saud said, adding that he has not heard of any plans of the Assam Agricultural University to construct any new arched gateway at Khanapara.
Saud said the new elegant arched gateway at Jorhat campus was important as it is the headquarters of the Assam Agricultural University.
In the Assam Agricultural University campus in Khanapara, the low-key Golden Jubilee celebration was held on April 1 with a flag hoisting ceremony. A foundation day lecture was organized, where retired bureaucrat R K Das was invited.
A large group of veterinarians are annoyed with the Assam Agricultural University’s decision to have the alumni meets of the College of Agriculture and the College of Community Science in Jorhat.
The alumni meet of the College of Community Science was held on Saturday as part of the University’s golden jubilee celebrations. It was a star studded event with the presence of Rupshikha S Borah, director of finance, Oil India Limited, renowned actress of Assam Chetana Das and Pubalee Bujarbaruah, advocate of Shillong High Court and former chairman of Inner Wheel. Altogether 400 alumni participated in the meet and celebrated the transformation of the College of Home Science to the College of Community Science.
“No one informed us that the Golden Jubilee celebration of Assam Agricultural University is going on,” Serenbell Momin, a Meghalaya-based veterinarian said, adding that thousands of ex-students of College of Veterinary Science could have assembled at Khanapara for alumni meet.
The College of Veterinary Science was established in year 1948 at Nagaon as the erstwhile Assam Veterinary College. Subsequently, the college shifted to Guwahati. It became a constituent college of Assam Agricultural University in 1969.