Award giving ceremonies

The first Munin Barkotoki Award for the year 1995 was given away at a ceremony that was held on 1st Jan 1996 at Lakhiram Baruah Sadan. Shri Chandra Prasad Saikia presided over the meeting at which Dr. Satyendranath Sarma was the Chief Guest and Professor Ranjit Kumar Deva Goswami was the appointed speaker. The book of Munin Barkotoki's biographical essays titled Bandita Barenya edited by Dr. Sivanath Barman was also released on the occasion by Shri Krishna Bhuyan.

The second award meeting was held on 15th Feb 1997 at the Lakhmiram Barooah Sadan, Guwahati. Shri Jogesh Das presided over the meeting while Shri Uma Kanta Sarma gave away the awards for the year 1996. Two books, one edited by Shri Nalinidhar Bhattacharyya titled Prasanga Samalocana and the other by Dr. Jogendranarayan Bhuyan titled Sristi Tribidha, were also released at that meeting by Sri Reboti Mohan Dutta Chaudhuri (Sheelabhara).

The awards for 1997 and 1998 were given away by noted poet Jayanta Mahapatra at an august meeting held at the Tirthanath Sarma Sabhagriha in Guwahati in 1999. Shri Jatin Goswami from Jorhat spoke about his assciation with Munin Barkotoki at the meeting presided over by Shri Nalinidhar Bhattacharyya. The book 'A Munin Barkotoki Miscellany' edited by Professor Ranjit Kumar Deva Goswami was also released at the meeting.

The awards for 1999 and 2000 were given away at a meeting held on 24th Feb 2001 at the Bishnu Nirmala Trust Auditorium. Noted filmmaker Dr. Bhaben Saikia was the Chief Guest at the meeting presided over by Sri Satya Prasad Barua. Sri Radhika Mohan Bhagabati spoke about his association with Munin Barkotoki.

Noted writer and Jnanpith Awardee Nirmal Verma gave away the prizes for the years 2001 and 2002 at a solemn meeting, presided over by Sri Chandra Prasad Saikia, held at Rabindra Bhawan, Guwahati on the 1st March 2003, which also marked the tenth death anniversary of Munin Barkotoki. Poet Nirmal Verma spoke on the topic 'The relevance of art in our lives today'. At the same meeting Shri Nalinidhar Bhattacharyya was also felicitated.

The awards for 2003 and 2004 were given away at a meeting held on 11th Feb. 2005 at the Lakhiram Barooah Sadan. Professor Kabin Phukan of Dibrugarh University was the appointed speaker and spoke on the topic 'Bhasa aru Sahitya: atit, bartaman aru bhabisyat' . At the meeting a book edited by Sri Upendra Barkataki titled Prasanga: Munin Barkotoki; was also released.

The awards for the years 2005 and 2006 were given away at a meeting held on 17th March 2007 at the Lakhiram Barooah Sadan. It was presided over by Dr. Birendranath Dutta. Sri Radhika Mohan Bhagawati was the appointed speaker.

The awards for 2007 and 2008 were given away at a meeting on 21st Feb 2009, at the Lakhiram Barooah Sadan, presided over by noted poet Shri Nilmoni Phukan. The President of the Asam Sahitya Sabha, Padmasri Rong Bong Terong was the Chief Guest while Dr. Tilottoma Misra was the appointed speaker and spoke on the topic 'lekhak aru porhuwoi samaj '. Also Shri Arindom Barkataki gave an evaluation of the writings of some of the past awardees at the event.

The awards for 2009 and 2010 were given away at a meeting held on 5th March 2011. The meeting was presided over by noted playwright Arun Sarma. Noted Manipuri poet Robin Ngangom delivered the invited lecture titled 'Poetry in the time of terror'.

The awards for 2011 and 2012 were given away at a meeting held on 3rd March 2013 at the Vivekananda Kendra, Guwahati. Noted literatteur Dr. Nagen Saikia presided over the meeting while Professor Dilip Kumar Barua, formerly from Burdwan University, West Bengal, was the Chief Guest.

The awards for 2013 and 2014 were given away at a well-attended meeting held on 28th Feb 2015 at the Vivekananda Kendra, Guwahati. Distinguished Assamese poet Shri Nilmoni Phukan gave away the awards at a meeting presided over by distinguished folklorist and singer Prof. Birendranath Dutta. Since this was the twentieth anniversary of the Munin Barkotoki Awards, a book exhibition of books written by all past awardees as well as Munin Barkotoki was organised at the venue and a book about the awardees was released by noted poet Shri Hirendranath Dutta.

Noted social scientist and public intellectual Professor Shiv Vishvanathan (O.P. Jindal Global University, Sonepat) delivered the Munin Barkotoki Memorial Lecture on the subject: " The responsibility of writing between story-telling and truth-telling " at a well-attended ceremony on the 11th March 2017 at the Vivekananda Kendra. The awards for 2015 and 2016 were also given away at the same meeting by distinguished journalist Padmashree D.N. Bezbaruah.

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  • Munin Barkotoki.

  • Critic Jyoti Khataniar receiving the award from D N Bezbaruah.

  • Poet Pritam Barua receiving the award.

  • Novelist Bhaskar Thakuria receiving the award.

  • Stuti Goswami moderating the programme.

  • Trustee Renuka Devi Barkataki welcoming the guests.

  • ditto.

  • Kushal Dutta reading out a citation.

  • A view of the packed audience.

  • Dr. Bibhash Chowdhury leading the interaction after the memorial lecture.

  • D.N.Bezbaruah delivering the Presidential Address.

  • Meenaxi Barkataki delivering the Vote of Thanks.

  • Another view of the audience.

  • Professor Shiv Vishvanathan delivering the Memorial Lecture.

  • The mandatory group photo...

Audio

The Munin Barkotoki Literary awards for the years 2017 and 2018 were given away at a well-attended event held at the Vivekananda Kendra on the 9th March 2019 by distinguished writer Nirupama Borgohain and noted academic Upen Sarma. While Ms. Borgohain spoke about her association with Renuka Devi Barkataki (who passed away in 2017), Sri Sarma spoke about the 'man of letters' Munin Barkotoki. To read his speech click here.

The award ceremony was followed by a very interesting panel discussion titled 'Kobitat Golpo, Golpot Kobita' moderated by Dr. Moushumi Kandali. The panelists were Arindam Borkataki, Sanjib Pol Deka and Anubhav Tulasi

Gallery

  • Upen Sarma playing floral tributes to Munin Barkotoki

  • Dalim Das receiving the award from Nirupama Borgohain

  • Debabhuson Borah receiving the award

  • The awardees

  • Asim Kaji moderating the programme

  • The audience

  • The audience

  • Kushal Dutta reading out the citation

  • Dalim Das giving his acceptance speech

  • Debabhuson Borah giving his acceptance speech

  • Upen Sarma addressing the gathering

  • Nirupama Borgohain addressing the gathering

  • Trustee Upen Barkataki giving the welcome speech

  • The Panel Discussion

The Munin Barkotoki Literary Awards for the years 2019 and 2020 were given away by our most respected Prof. Hiren Gohain Sir in a solemn and well attended meeting, where the three award winning books were also released. The awardees spoke with grace and humility and Prof. Gohain gave a powerful speech in which he spoke about some qualities that my father had which have all but disappeared in the present time. To listen to his speech click here. The invited lecture was presented by celebrated Punjabi poet, translator, journalist and art critic Nirupama Dutt from Chandigarh on the theme 'The poetics of protest in India'. Dutt's speech was published in the Hindustan Times. To listen to her speech click here. To watch the event click here. For more details of the event click here.

Gallery

  • Invitation Letter

  • Gohain Sir and Upendra Barkotoki paying floral tributes to the image of Munin Barkotoki

  • Upendra Barkotoki felicitating Gohain Sir

  • Meenaxi Barkotoki felicitating Nirupama Dutt

  • Meenaxi Barkotoki felicitating Nirupama Dutt

  • Upendra Barkotoki giving his welcome address

  • Meenaxi Barkotoki reading out the report of the activities of the Trust

  • The dignitaries on the dais

  • Meenaxi Barkotoki making her speech

  • Book release event of awardee Ankur Ranjan Phukan's book

  • Book release event of awardee Abhijit Bora's book

  • Kushal Dutta reading out the citation

  • Ankur Ranjan Phukan receiving his award

  • Ipshita Hazarika moderating the event

  • Awardee Ankur Ranjan Phukan addressing the gathering

  • Abhijit Bora receiving his award

  • Abhijit Bora saying a few words

  • Listening in rapt attention

  • Manoranjan Bori receiving his award

  • Manoranjan Bori receiving his award

  • Manoranjan Bori giving his speech

  • The three awardees with the dignitaries on stage

  • Gohain Sir addressing the gathering

  • Gohain Sir speaking about Munin Barkotoki

  • Nirupama Dutt delivering her invited lecture

  • Nirupama Dutt delivering her invited lecture

  • Nirupama Dutt interacting with the audience

  • Ipshita Hazarika giving the formal vote of thanks

  • A view of the audience

Distinguished academic and Sankardev expert Professor Ranjit Kumar Dev Goswami was the Chief Guest at the solemn and very well-attended ceremony held at the Vivekananda Kendra Auditorium on 25th February 2023 to give away the awards for the years 2021 and 2022 to Pradyumna Kumar Gogoi and Upasana Saikia respectively. The event began with a Kavyanjali in memory of recently deceased distinguished poet and Jnanpith awardee Nilmoni Phukan and Dr. Sivanath Barman; Both of these august personalities have been very closely associated with the Trust from its very inception. Prof. Goswami spoke, in his trademark engaging and brilliant style, about some personal traits and qualities of Munin Barkotoki and the times in which he lived while the invited speaker noted journalist and activist Padmashri Patricia Mukhim delivered a very incisive speech on the topic 'The power of words'. The English translation of 2014 awardee Tulika Saikia's historical novel 'Sarixal Gosanir Tez ' was also formally released at the event. To view Prof. Goswami's speech click here; Madam Mukhim's speech is available here.

The link to the video of the entire event is available here.

Gallery