MARIA'S PUBLIC SCHOOL

The 19th Mofizuddin Ahmed Hazarika Literary Award Ceremony was held at Maria’s Public School, Guwahati in a solemn manner amidst an august gathering on August 31, 2019. Although literary competitions in Assamese and English creative writing, recitation, quiz and debate are held every year on an inter-school basis to commemorate the memory of Gyanmalini Kobi Mofizuddin Ahmed Hazarika, but due to the sudden demise of the Principal of the school Mrs Alpana Khound Phukan, this year the competitions were held among the students of the school.

Attending the award function as the Chief Guest, Dr Kamaluddin Ahmed, Head of the Department of Assamese, Gauhati University,in his speech, dealt on the Gyanmalini Kobi’s contribution towards Assamese literature, sufism in his poetry, colloquial style of his writing among other elements. He also declared that ‘Pragya Xindhu Kobi Mofizuddin’ – a collection of analytical studies on his poetry and his published and unpublished poems – edited by Anis Uz Zaman, the President of the Mofizuddin Ahmed Hazarika Memorial Trust, and published by Mrs Nellie Ahmed Tanweeron behalf of Maria’s Educational Trust, has been included as a reference book in the Post Graduate (Assamese) curriculum in the Gauhati University. Mr Anis Uz Zaman said that the great poet spread the spirit of harmony among the people and that his poems are still relevant in today’s society. Mrs Nellie Ahmed Tanweer, Founder and Managing Trustee, Maria’s Public School in her message said, “The literary fest has been a high water mark in the school’s cultural and co-curricular pursuits, because the aim of holding these competitions lies mainly in encouraging the students studying in English medium schools to be appreciative of their own language and culture – an aspect which is fast dwindling with the impact of the western world. Dr Mafooza Rahman, former HoD, Geography, Cotton College, Mr Asad Zaman, a finance consultant were among the other distinguished speakers in the function.

After the meeting was over the prize distribution ceremony got underway with the rendition of a Jyoti Sangeet by the students of the school followed by recitation of poems by thefirst position holders in different categories in Assamese and English recitation. The function came to an end with the valedictory speech by Mr Anjan Gogoi, Vice Principal of the school.