the association 2013

open for business: 

the association’s 

literary café 

spot the difference? 

try out uaauk’s brand 

new puzzle pages 

the 

association 

august 2013 

simanta confesses 

musical addiction 

interview with... 

adventurous dr leslie fox 

ex-head of assam valley school 

find out... 

the latest news 

from assam 

opinion and 

comment... 

views from 

britain’s 

assamese

2 the 


assamassociation.org.uk 

bigger IS better: more events, 

more news, bigger newsletter 

the association 

editor: 

Nina Goswami 

the committee 

president: 

Jitendralal Borkakoti 

general secretary: 

Nripen Barkataki 

vice president: 

Shyam Saikia 

assistant secretary: 

Rishi Kakati 

treasurer: 

Julie Bora 

cultural secretary: 

Chinu Kishore 

committee members: 

Bhupendra Dev Sarmah 

Nina Mellor 

Ritu Kataky 

Rini Kakati 

Gaurav Goswami 

Jayanta Biswa Sarma 

Indira Sharma 

Adhita Saikia 

Kavita Das 

webmaster: 

Jayanta Biswa Sarma 

ta 

Nina Goswami 

SINCE last Assam Day, 

the British Assamese 

contingent have definitely 

been busy. 

From the United Assam 

Association of the United 

Kingdom’s first Diwali 

AS PRESIDENT of the 

United Assam Association 

UK, it is my privilege to 

welcome you all to Assam 

Day 2013. 

Memories of the last 

Assam Day still reverberate 

in my mind: the exciting 

rendition of favourite songs 

by Dikshu, the late night 

discos, the presence of the 

High Commissioner of India 

at the Gala Dinner, and so 

celebration in Birmingham 

to the London Bihu and the 

fifth annual Assam Sports 

Day - you can read all 

about it in this edition of the 

association. 

Also in this issue, you can 

learn more about our guest 

artist Simanta Shekhar and 

what music means to him. 

The Assamese aunties 

bring you the latest on 

what’s been happening in 

our community across the 

UK and I have interviewed 

Dr Leslie Fox, a former 

headteacher of The Assam 

Valley School - and our 

chief guest this year. 

We have also introduced 

several new sections. 

much more. A year seems 

to have passed very quickly 

indeed. 

The main purpose of the 

annual gathering of this 

large “family” is all about 

renewing friendships, and 

meeting new friends. 

Assam Day also provides 

many activities for you to 

enjoy: cultural shows on 

both evenings, those 

memorable discos, Assam 

Olympics and quizzes. I do 

hope you will participate 

and have an 

exciting experience. 

Assam Day tries to 

facilitate a kind of cultural 

integration for the second 

generation Assamese, 

many of whom are still relatively 

young, so that they 

will be able to pass on the 

Assamese cultural values 

to their children. 

Neera Borkakoti has 

compiled some ’just for fun’ 

games and puzzles, and 

there are now opinion 

pages, which 

includes Nilmoni Sikdar’s 

recollections of coming to 

Britain with only £3 and 10 

Shillings in his pocket. 

Thanks to Kavita Das - 

the Uaauk’s newest 

executive committee 

member, we now also have 

our own literary café. 

And finally, if you are 

interested in writing or 

contributing to the next 

edition, you will find 

details of how to get in 

touch on the back. 

But for now, please enjoy! 

it is time for our ‘family’ of friends 

to celebrate once again 

ta 

Jitendralal Borkakoti 

At this point, let us spare 

a thought for Assam – a 

state looking for a way out 

of a culture of corruption – 

as it attempts to tackle its 

growing infrastructure 

problems; many caused by 

the annual floods that 

‘it is all about 

renewing 

friendships, 

and meeting 

new friends’ 

become more extreme 

each year. 

Finally, let me thank all 

members of the Executive 

Committee for their hard 

work. Without them there 

would be no Assam Day. 

Well, have fun, and I hope 

to see you again next year.

He’s been praised by critics 

for “creating a sensation 

with his attractive voice and 

melodious songs”. 

But Simanta Shekhar 

could easily have ended up 

ta 



music’s the best medicine 

Kavita Das details a life of pharmaceuticals and fame 

acclaim for handy guide to dance 

Jan Goswami 

DR SUNIL KOTHARI, a 

leading dance historian and 

Padmasree award winner, 

has launched a book about 

the hand languages in classical 

dances of India. 

Written and compiled by 

Dr Anil Ranjan Barthakur, a 

retired Assamese doctor 

from Swindon, Nritya Hasta 

is to assist both beginners 

and practitioners of classical 

Indian dance. 

The book includes illustrations 

by the author, who is 

prescribing drugs than 

entertainment. 

“After one or two 

years of my higher 

secondary, I was into 

music at full force, but 

my father pushed for me to 

do the bachelor course,” 

explained Simanta. 

“Though I didn't want to 

do further studies, my 

father filed an admission 

application on my behalf for 

a bachelor of pharmacy 

course at Dibrugarh 

University.” 

With Simanta’s impressive 

grades in science he 

gained a place at the institution 

but unbeknown to his 

father, Daya Barman, that 

represented the start not of 

a scientific career but his 

professional singing life. 

“I always think of going for 

my bachelors as an opportunity 

that came concealed 

under a stinky coat,” mused 

the singer, now 31. 

Simanta’s undergraduate 

friends inspired him to become 

a singer, encouraged 

him to join Dibrugarh’s 

also a professional artist. 

After releasing the book, 

Dr Kothari praised the 

efforts of Dr Barthakur for 

carrying out an extensive 

study of the hand postures 

in the Indian classical 

dance forms. 

He said: “They say in Nritya 

Shastra that the hands 

can speak and they can 

describe everything.” 

The Sangeet Natak 

Academy Award winner 

also paid tribute to the 

translation of the book into 

other languages for the 

Music Society and made 

him gig around the city. He 

was named the University’s 

Best Singer two years in a 

row. 

His big break came when 

Tihu-born voice was heard 

by a man who became crucial 

to his career. 

“One person, named 

Cintuda, who was a restaurant 

owner on the university 

‘by the grace 

of god the 

result of that 

album was 

superb’ 

campus came to me one 

day and asked if I could 

make an album and that he 

was willing to finance it,” 

explained Simanta. 

“We did it, by the Grace of 

God, the result of that album 

was superb.” 

He shot to fame in 2005 

with the song Dikhou Noi 

Eribo Nuwaru from the 

movie Jonbai. 

benefit of a greater number 

of students of dance and 

research scholars. 

Poet and Educationist Dr 

Amarjyoti Choudhury, who 

presided over the book 

launch, described the efforts 

made by Dr Barthakur, 

and his wife Lahori Barthakur 

to gather information 

from various libraries, including 

one in the Italian 

city of Florence. 

He said: “This book 

epitomises high standards 

of creativity both in terms of 

text and the drawings.” 

3 

Now a highly sought after 

artist, Simana has 

performed on various TV 

programmes and 

internationally from Detriot 

in the United States to 

Omar and Kuwait in the 

Arab Emirates. 

Although university may 

have been important for 

launching Simanta’s current 

career, his mother’s 

love of music was equally 

important. 

He said: “My mother, Mrs 

Arati Barman, may not 

have sung professionally, 

but she helped me to learn 

music and how to perform.” 

Given a love of music by 

his mother, Simanta would 

sing throughout his days at 

elementary school. 

This led to his teacher, 

the late Jiten Das, giving 

the budding singer his first 

“professional” audition. 

It was to see if he could 

make the cut for Silpi Divas 

(Artists’ Day). Simanta 

made the cut then and has 

been making the cut ever 

since. 

To learn more about Dr 

Bathakur’s book, see the 

Comment section in this 

magazine, on page 16.



united assam 

association’s 

first diwali 

celebrations 

go off 

with a bang 

call for uk’s assamese to 

ta 

Nina Goswami 

A FORMER British 

Foreign Office Minister 

has called on the 

Assamese community in 

the United Kingdom to 

help the government in 

Assam tackle the problems 

it faces. 

Addressing the second 

annual conference of the 

Assam Forum of Great 

Britain (AFGB) at the London 

School of 

Economics on 1 June 

2013, Bill Rammell urged 

delegates to consider the 

experiences of other 

countries when 

formulating their advice for 

the administration in 

Dispur. 

Mr Rammell, who served 

under former British prime 

ministers Tony Blair and 

Gordon Brown, said: “I 

want to stress to you that 

issues such as poverty 

and terrorism have common 

histories, common 

threads, and I hope that in 

your discussions and 

debates, you look to 

initiatives and examples – 

at home and abroad – as 

you seek to offer solutions 

to the Government and 

others back in Assam.” 

The former UK minister, 

who was introduced to the 

delegation by the Forum’s 

Vice Chairman Dr Jayanta 

Sarma, blamed the present 

British government 

for a 30 per cent drop in 

first-year undergraduates 

coming to the UK from 

India and warned this 

could disadvantage both 

countries. 

“Unfortunately, we are 

seeing a (British) Government 

that is confused – 

and confusing – on the 

issue of immigration, and 

in particular overseas students,” 

said Mr Rammell, 

who is Vice Chancellor at 

the University of Bedfordshire. 

“In my opinion that’s 

‘seek to offer 

solutions to 

Government 

and other in 

Assam’ 

not just a shame and a 

missed opportunity for 

those prospective students, 

but bad for high 

education in the UK, bad 

for the UK economy, and 

bad for that evolving UK- 

India relationship.” 

Immigration – specifically, 

illegal migration from 

Bangladesh – was a key 

theme of the conference. 

Dr Jitendralal Borkakoti, 

the Assam Forum's Chairman 

and Chief Convenor, 

argued that the Assam 

Accord had been a 

“complete failure”. 

“The Accord did not spell 

out a robust institutional 

structure with adequate 

resources to implement 

the Agreement’s detectdelete-deport 

policy and 

the Illegal Migrants 

(Determination by Tribunal) 

Act 1983 that legitimised 

the Accord which 

became a hindrance,” he 

said. 

“The Asom Gana 

Parishad Government did 

not make sure that the 

issue should be raised 

with the Bangladesh and 

in 1985 did not strike 

when the iron was hot,” he 

continued. “It is now too 

late because of the Human 

Rights Bill,. Thousands 

of illegal migrants 

who have lived for more 

than 25 years will be difficult 

to be got rid of.” 

Dr Borkakoti suggested 

a policy of prevention and 

assimilation should now 

be adopted and called on 

the Government of India to 

raise the issue with Bangladesh, 

something , he 

said, should have been 

done 28 years ago.



5 

SEARCH “Diwali + Assam 

Association UK” on Google 

and the first result is a 

YouTube video uploaded 

by Anirbandeep Dutta. 

The video shows five 

nervous looking men – Mr 

Dutta, among them – being 

taught how to belly dance 

by a professional. 

Mr Dutta posted a comment 

when he uploaded his 

video to YouTube. 

He wrote: “We were 

dragged onto the stage by 

her. Was actually fun 

performing with everyone!” 

The professional belly 

dancer’s class was just one 

of the highlights of the 

United Assam Association 

of the UK’s first Diwali 

celebrations – an event that 

is now to become annual. 

The Association’s 

Executive Committee felt it 

had been an oversight by 

the organisation not to hold 

‘we were 

dragged 

on the 

stage...was 

actually fun’ 

a celebration to mark Diwali 

— a situation remedied by 

the Uaauk’s Vice 

President Dr Shyam Saikia, 

assisted by Committee 

Member Dr Bhupen Dev 

Sharma. 

The inaugural event was 

held on 10 November at 

Marston Green Parish Hall 

in Birmingham. 

As with all good 

Assamese events, the 

Diwali celebrations began 

with tea and snacks, and 

included a cultural 

programme of local artists, 

who entertained the 

audience through music, 

song and dance. 

The performance 

culminated in the 

masterclass, for both men 

and women, on belly 

dancing and the later posting 

of the YouTube video. 

No Diwali party would be 

complete without a sizeable 

feast and this is what the 

organisers had provided: 

from substantial starters, to 

mains with numerous types 

of curry, to a selection of 

sweets and desserts. 

Once appetites were 

sated, the partygoers – 

more than a hundred attended 

– were ushered 

outside for spectacular 

fireworks to celebrate the 

Hindu festival of lights that 

lasted for more than half 

and hour. 

Finally, after the revellers 

had been wowed by the 

impressive light show, it 

was time to wrap up the 

Association event in the 

traditional way – with a 

disco that included some 

Bihu classics. 

To watch Anirbandeep 

Dutta’s YouTube video go 

to bit.ly/188mlyi 

tackle homeland’s needs 

Smitana Saikia, who is 

currently writing a doctorate 

around the politics of 

Call for action: 

Former Foreign Minister 

Bill Rammell addresses 

Assam Forum of GB 

ethnicity in Assam, argued 

that a historic lack of an 

official definition of the 

“Assamese” people is 

intrinsically linked to 

concerns over immigration, 

with many tribal groups 

feeling their distinct 

identities are being 

threatened. 

She argued that the lack 

of provision for “legislative 

and administrative 

safeguards to protect the 

cultural, social, and 

linguistic identity and 

heritage”, as outlined in the 

Assam Accord deal of 

1985, had led to this identity 

crisis – a factor during 

last year’s Bodo-Muslim 

violence. 

Calling for a return to a 

multi-ethnic society, Ms 

Saikia said: “Part of this is 

to have an all-inclusive 

definition of Assamese – 

something the Government 

of Assam still has not done 

after embarking on this in 

2007.” 

The meeting, which was 

overseen by AFGB’s 

chairman Dr Bhupen Dev 

Sarmah, also discussed the 

problems of Assam’s 

devastating floods. 

Dr Rituparna Bhattacharya 

called for a renewed 

effort to add Majuli, the 

world’s largest river island, 

to the UNESCO World 

Heritage list. She bemoaned 

the failure of previous 

efforts and claimed that 

one bid had collapsed due 

to mistakes regarding paperwork. 

Dr Tarun Chowdhury said 

both the Assam and Indian 

governments needed to 

improve flood relief 

provision and, if necessary, 

be prepared to ask the 

outside world for help. 

Citing the aftermath of last 

year’s flood crisis when an 

estimated 500,000 

displaced people were left 

living in poor conditions, he 

said: “They [the Assam 

government] should also 

put their pride to one side 

and ask for foreign help as 

it will save lives.”



a london bihu for all generations 

ta 

Nina Goswami 

“IT WAS ALL great fun and I 

am eagerly waiting for next 

year's Bihu to have more fun, 

see friends and win more 

medals.” 

Those were the words of 

eight-year-old Juhaim Rasul 

Choudhury. He came second 

in the children’s ‘Olympic 

Games’ at this year’s London 

Bihu, which was held on 

Sunday 5 May at Campion 

School in Hornchurch. 

He added: “I also liked 

watching all the performances 

on stage especially when all of 

us danced together on the 

stage. I loved the food – especially 

the yummy jelly.” 

Juhaim summed up how 

many felt about the twentysixth 

consecutive celebration 

of Bihu in London: good entertainment, 

good company and 

good food. 

Geeta Borooah, the President 

of the London Bihu Committee 

(LBC), said this year 

people came from across 

Great Britain to celebrate 

Rongali Bihu. 

She said: “What impressed 

me was how we had many 

walks of life represented – 

from first generation Assamese, 

to Assamese descents, 

‘visible 

increase in 

families 

attending 

celebrations’ 

those married into our culture 

and people who are just interested 

in our traditions.” 

“It appeared to me there was 

a lot of fun, chat and enjoyment 

to be had by all.” 

Committee member Jayanta 

Borkakoti echoed the president’s 

sentiment – describing 

London Bihu as “an essential 

part of his social calendar”. 

For him, the Bihu Bhoj was 

one of the highlights. Mr 

Borkakoti said: “I always look 

forward to the proper Assamese 

snacks which are made 

by the talented aunties in the 

traditional way – and to the 

main meal the Food Secretary 

Sanjay Sikdar made sure 

was of the highest standard.” 

Meenakhi Borooah, the 

LBC’s Treasurer, said it was 

“great to see so many familiar 

and new faces”, and, in addition, 

felt the cultural show was 

a prominent feature of the 

London Bihu. 

She said: “It seemed the line 

up - which culminated in 

Meera Das Saharia’s songs - 

drew in everyone's attention.” 

In fact, the Vice-President of 

the London Bihu Committee 

Dr Khogeswar Lahon noted: 

“The performance of the guest 

artist was very good, so much 

so, that it attracted lady dancers 

to the stage.” 

Mrs Das Saharia, who 

became an approved All India 

Radio singer in 1975, 

interpreted Bihu songs in such 

a way that, not only did it see 

guests spontaneously take to 

the dance floor, but led to calls 

for an encore. 

For Rishi Kakati, the LBC’s 

General Secretary, it was the 

start of the cultural show that 

was a memorable moment. 

“For this year’s Husori, we 

surprised the audience by 

coming through the crowd to 

get the party started,” he said. 

Mr Kakati continued: “Bihu is 

more than just a big old party 

to me. It represents an important 

link for me - and people of 

my generation, born and 

brought up in the UK - to the 

culture of our parents and our 

cultural roots back in Assam. 

“I thought that London's 

Rongali Bihu 2013 reflected 

those elements perfectly.” 

Many commented on how it 

felt as if the proportion of 

young people had increased – 

be it second generation or the 

young first generation. Committee 

member Dr Neera 

Borkakoti said: “There was a 

visible increase in the 

attendance of families with 

young children, which is a sure 

sign of growth of young Assamese 

diaspora in the UK.” 

It was the Vice-President of 

the Committee Dr Khogeswar 

Lahon who captured what 

made this year’s Bihu unique 

from the 25 that preceded it: 

“The purpose of the London 

Bihu to me is to promote our 

Assamese Culture abroad. 

“This year, comparatively 

more youngsters turned up 

than previous events and to 

me this shows that Bihu is 

performing its purpose.” 

And in the words of 8-yearold 

Juhaim Rasul Choudhury, 

many are “eagerly waiting for 

next year's Bihu to have more 

fun, see friends and win more 

medals.”

high five as sports fans enjoy 

ta 

anniversary games 

Kavita Das 

USAIN BOLT and Mo 

Farah may not have been 

there but the Assam Sports 

and Culture UK still held 

their anniversary games a 

month ahead of London 

2012. 

On 29 June, the organisation 

held its fifth annual 

meet, with sports enthusiasts 

from across the UK, 

with connections to Assam, 

all participating. 

The day was blessed with 

perfect weather for a 

barbeque breakfast and, 

for the first time, 

there was a 

cocktail bar serving cool 

and refreshing mixes. 

On the sporting front, 

children put their athleticism 

to the test and had 

their own way on the 

bouncy castle. 

The women revived 

games like kabaddi, pithu 

and the tug of war, while 

the men showed their intense, 

passionate and competitive 

side with their very 

own cricket test match. 

The result of the big 

match: 



7 

Kazironga Xenani narrowly 

defeated Lachit Xenani. 

And it was a game of 

musical chairs that brought 

people of all ages together. 

In an open letter, Dr 

Nilmoni Sikdar wrote: “I 

think it is one of the rare 

functions where the three 

generations of sports loving 

people participated and enjoyed 

the function in equal 

measure.” 

As the day came to a 

close, deserving participants 

were rewarded with 

medals, trophies and, of 

course, with a final visit the 

kitchen for an Indian buffet 

dinner. 

ON A RECENT visit to the 

UK, Assam’s Chief Minister, 

Tarun Gogoi, his wife Dolly 

Gogoi and their son Gaurav 

Gogoi – who is the Secretary of 

the Youth Forum on Foreign 

Policy – paid tribute to the artist 

Dr Bhupen Hazarika. 

On 26 June, the family saw a 

memorial photo of the ‘Bard of 

the Brahmaputra’, at the Nehru 

Centre in London. 

That evening, the Chief 

Minister attended a lecture at 

the London School of 

Economics where speakers 

included the Nobel Laureate 

Professor Amartya Sen, the 

Indian High Commissioner to 

the UK, Dr. Jaimini 

Bhagwati, and Rini Kakati.



project weaves its 

way from assam 

to yorkshire 

Jan Goswami discovers how one tea company’s scheme 

has led to Assamese textiles being sold in the UK 

“Assam tea gives Yorkshire 

Tea its strength, and 

malty flavour. But our relationship 

with Assam goes 

beyond tea.” Those are the 

words on the website of 

that well-known English 

teabag brand. 

A few years ago, buyers 

from Yorkshire Tea were 

touring the tea plantations 

of Assam looking for leaves 

that would give their brew 

that “strength and malty 

flavour”. 

One they visited belonged 

to McLeod Russel India, 

where the Yorkshire Tea 

buyers came across the 

“ladies of the Bodo Handloom 

Scheme”. 

They –and their parent 

company, Taylor of Harrogate, 

were intrigued by the 

“intricate, colourful designs 

woven into cloth on a handmade 

bamboo handloom” 

and decided to start selling 

the textiles into the UK 

market. 

Today, the Taylor of 

Harrogate and Yorkshire 

Tea websites sell 100% 

cotton aprons that come 

from the Bodo Handloom 

Scheme (BHS) in Assam. 

BHS was an initiative 

started by tea estate owners 

McLeod Russel India 

as part of the company’s 

corporate social responsibility 

policy – a way to give 

something back to Assam. 

The scheme began in 

1995 at Borengajuli Tea 

Estate, Udalguri, Assam, 

for the benefit of the local 

women belonging to the 

ethnic Bodo community. 

McLeod Russel says the 

project helps to promote 

traditional weaving skills 

and enables the women to 

generate extra income 

whilst working from home. 

The company says: “This 

has improved the standard 

of living for hundreds of 

families in the area.” 

Trying to get more BHS 

products into the UK 

market is an ambition the 

tea owners and they hope 

that the likes of Taylor of 

Harrogate will be willing to 

become involved. 

Doom Dooma district-born 

Cren Sandys-Lumsdaine, 

from McLeod Russel says 

he is glad to see that the 

likes of Taylor of Harrogate 

are continuing to promote 

the BHS aprons and wants 

to diversify the products on 

offer in the UK. 

“I’d like to see the 

Scheme make soft 'Home 

Furnishing' which, in my 

opinion, may have a more 

retail friendly market,” 

explains Mr Sandys- 

Lumsdaine. 

If the Bodo Handloom 

Scheme can diversify, 

perhaps it’s UK reach may 

in the future not just be 

online but in Britain’s high 

streets.



9 

international medium joins ‘just for assam’ 

ta 

Subhash Goswami 

NICK HUMPHRIES, an 

international psychic and 

healer has joined the UKbased 

charity Just for Assam 

(JFA). 

Mr Humphries has taken 

up the responsibility of 

managing a school project 

for the underprivileged children 

in Guwahati and now 

travels to India three or four 

times a year. 

The aim of the project is 

to build and run free 

schools for children who 

are impoverished or live on 

the streets in Assam. 

The medium came across 

JFA after a client asked 

him to take his show, which 

includes readings and 

healing, on a tour of India. 

Last January, Mr 

Humphries spent three 

weeks touring India, with 

part of his trip took him to 

Guwahati. 

Mr Humphries said he fell 

in love with India but also 

realised help was needed 

and wanted to contribute. 

“I’ve always supported 

charities that help children 

but wanted to make a bigger 

change in their lives,” 

he explained. “So when I 

was offered the chance to 

be a project manager for 

JFA I jumped at the 

chance.” 

Over the coming months, 

the healer said he will be 

organising charity events to 

help raise money for JFA 

‘we hope you 

will stay 

with us 

throughout 

our journey’ 

and will also be doing some 

filming with the children at 

the school project. 

In addition to launching 

the school project, this autumn 

JFA will celebrate five 

years since its formation. 

The charity was founded 

– then as an informal organisation 

– in response to 

a series of bomb blasts that 

shook Assam on 30 October 

2008. A group of 

Assamese friends based 

in the UK felt that something 

must be done to help 

the victims and set up JFA. 

Within weeks, more 

than £4,200 has been 

raised to help give the 

bombing victims’ families 

and survivors some comfort 

as they tried to rebuild their 

lives following the blast. 

Since then, JFA has gone 

from strength to strength: 

from co-ordinating training 

programmes for Non- 

Governmental Organisations 

in Guwahati in 2009 

to helping people into 

employment. 

These initiatives led to the 

UK’s Charity Commission 

recognising JFA as a charity 

in 2011. 

Bublee 

Sharma 

Goswami, 

from Just 

for Assam, 

said 

The United Assam Association 

of the United Kingdom (Uaauk) 

has started the process of 

acquiring charitable status, writes 

Nripen Barkataki. 

The move follows the Association’s 

executive committee’s realistion 

that, over the years, charitable 

fundraising by the Uaauk 

has been on an ad hoc basis for 

some years. 

One such example was when 

Shishu Sarothi, a charity for people 

with disabilities, approached 

Dr Indira Sharma asking if the 

Uaauk could help fund a specially 

adapted wheelchair for Silsila 

Das, a talented young girl, who 

loves to dance, but who was an 

he would encourage people 

to get involved with the 

charity. 

She said: “JFA is an open 

organisation and we 

welcome anyone contributing 

to their forum or expressing 

support to be part 

of JFA. 

“We welcome you to the 

JFA and hope you will stay 

with us throughout our 

journey.” 

If you would like to learn 

more about Just for Assam 

go to justforassam.org 

Nick Humphries joins JFA 

unfortunate victim of polio. 

The Uaauk’s Vice President, Dr 

Shyam Saikia, initially offered to 

bear the cost but several Executive 

Committee members offered 

to contribute towards the cause. 

A sum of Rs 42,000 was raised 

and the wheelchair was officially 

handed over at the Shishu 

Sarothi centre, on the 11 March 

2013. 

Dr Shyam Saikia and I were 

honoured to be present on that 

occasion and the event was covered 

by several newspapers in 

Assam. 

See Comment section for more 

on the Association’s charitable 

works.



from holidaymaker 

Nina Goswami learns of a remarkable life taking in Sandhurst, 

‘always been 

a tropical 

vein running 

through my 

life’ 

“Think of it as a free 

holiday.” That was how Dr 

Leslie Fox persuaded his 

wife, Ivi, to let him look into 

the possibility of becoming 

the headmaster of The 

Assam Valley School. 

It was the late 1990s and 

Dr Fox had spent five years 

as the deputy headmaster 

of Yarm School, in the 

northeast of England. He 

was in the mood for having 

his own headship. 

“I’d applied for a copy of 

the Assam Valley School’s 

prospectus and the next 

thing I knew I received a 

telephone call inviting me 

to visit the school in 

Assam,” explains Dr Fox. “I 

was told that they would fly 

my wife and me out to 

Assam – Club Class – and 

that there was no obligation 

to take up the job.” 

Having persuaded Ivi to 

take up the “free holiday”, 

the couple headed for The 


“There was no doubt 

about it, as soon as we saw 

the place we had a feeling 

of excitement,” says Dr 

Fox. “My wife sought assurances 

from the tea company 

- Williamson Magor – 

that ran the school about 

the kidnap risk in Assam 

that she’d heard about. 

And, once she was reassured, 

she turned to me 

and said ‘We can go if we 

can take our two cats’.” 

Despite starting his 

working life as an officer in 

British Army’s Royal Corps 

of Signals, Dr Fox jokingly 

says that their move to India 

was “one of the most 

difficult things he’d ever 

faced.” 

Travelling to their new 

home in Assam, the couple 

stopped over at a guesthouse 

in Kolkata, where 

the challenges began – 

partly because of their cats. 

“You can imagine, after 

travelling from England, we 

were exhausted and it was 

steaming hot,” says Dr Fox. 

“So trying to communicate 

to the guesthouse staff that 

we needed an equivalent of 

a cat litter tray for our two 

middle-aged cats became 

quite a challenge. 

“Then one of cats managed 

to get stuck behind a 

massive mahogany wardrobe 

that weighed at least 

two tonnes. We were not 

best pleased.” 

But that was not the end 

of their first day in India. Dr 

Fox had agreed to test out 

a new satellite phone for 

one of his former military 

colleagues. 

“Within hours of testing 

the phone out our guesthouse 

was surrounded by 

police,” Dr Fox says. 

“So all the incidents that 

had happened in 24 hours 

meant that we were almost 

in tears even before 

reaching Assam!” 

The pair did, however, 

make it to Assam and the 

new school that would 

become their home for the 

next four years. 

The Assam Valley School 

opened in 1995 - four years 

before Dr Fox became the 

headmaster - which meant 

the father-of-one had the 

opportunity to build on the 

foundations of North East 

India’s most prestigious 

co-educational boarding 

school. And for Dr Fox that 

meant “A School for 

Adventure”. 

During his tenure the 

number of pupils increased 

from 450 to 680, with 

children between the ages 

of nine and 12-years-old. 

“In addition to increasing 

the size of the school in 

terms of both pupil 

numbers and infrastructure, 

I derive particular 

satisfaction from having 

introduced Craft, Design & 

Technology as a curriculum 

subject,” says Dr Fox. 

His other achievements 

included introducing music 

and drama examinations. 

With the assistance of his 

wife, Dr Fox also 

introduced a Western 

choir and orchestra. 

Then, in 2001, Dr Fox led 

a group of 35 students and 

staff on a tour of UK 

schools and colleges to 

give performances of 

traditional dance and music 

from northeast India. 

This headteacher’s main



11 

to headteacher 

Northern Ireland, Cyprus and ‘A School for Adventure’ in Assam 

passion has always been 

adventure. Until recently, 

Dr Fox was involved in 

marathon canoeing but 

says that, with increasing 

age, he changed his focus 

to become a qualified 

archery coach, a sport now 

enjoyed at The Assam 

Valley School. 

In the early nineties, while 

he was a Housemaster at 

Trent College in Nottingham, 

he spearheaded a 

school mountaineering 

expedition to the Altai 

Region of the former 

Soviet Union. 

This passion for the outdoors 

brought benefits for 

the education programme 

at The Assam Valley 

School. One initiative was 

introducing The International 

Award for Young 

People India, a programme 

equivalent to The Duke of 

Edinburgh’s Award 

Scheme, for youngsters to 

experience new activities, 

develop skills and interests. 

Now 64, Dr Fox says his 

love of adventure and the 

outdoors must come from 

his upbringing. 

“I came from an Army 

family and six months after 

being born was on a 

troopship,” he explains. 

“For me there has always 

been a tropical vein running 

through my life.” 

Dr Fox knew of Assam 

before taking up the 

headship as his father had 

served in Burma and 

Kohima during WW2. 

In fact, his father had 

spent much of his 

childhood in India as his 

own father had served with 

the British Army in Risulpur 

and elsewhere. 

Dr Fox followed his father 

into the British Army. He 

says: “At the time I had no 

other idea than following in 

the family footsteps and 

going into the Army.” 

After passing out from 

Sandhurst in 1969, Dr Fox 

moved up the ranks of the 

British Army before retiring 

a decade later. 

During this time he gained 

a Bachelor of Science in 

Engineering from Royal 

Military College of Science. 

“When I got the posting to 

do an engineering degree, I 

was reluctant to do it but 

then discovered a love for 

learning,” he explains. 

“Now, with hindsight, I see 

that it was a turning point 

for me.” 

After his degree, Dr Fox 

was posted to Londonderry 

in the mid-seventies, when 

The Troubles in Northern 

Ireland were at their height. 

This was to be his last 

army posting. 

“I came to a crossroads 

having become Captain 

and Adjutant of The King’s 

Regiment,” says Dr Fox. “If 

I stayed I could see that 

‘four years at 

The Assam 

Valley 

School were 

amazing’ 

being it for me until I was 

60. So it seemed sensible 

to go to Cyprus, where my 

wife and I had roots.” 

Thanks to his Engineering 

Degree, he was able to 

take up a position as Maths 

teacher at an international 

school in Cyprus – and 

therefore start a second 

career in education. 

It would be two decades 

later that Dr Fox became 

the Headmaster at The 


“The four years at The 

Assam Valley School were 

amazing but it was a tough 

assignment,” says Dr Fox. 

“I like to think that if you 

drop me anywhere – Mars 

even – I would be able to 

cope; and I did but it was 

draining. 

“I was 55 and found myself 

at the crossroads 

again,” he explained. “We 

had great friends in Assam, 

but despite this we would 

sometimes feel isolated 

and miss home. 

“So for my wife and I, it 

felt like the right time to 

return to the UK.” 

Dr Fox is now 

retired from full-time 

teaching, having recently 

completed an assignment 

as Headteacher of 

Moordale Academy in 

Middlesbrough – his third 

headship. 

It would not have been 

possible without his wife 

agreeing to go on that “free 

holiday” to Assam.



news from assam 

with Romen Goswami 

human trafficking on rise in Assam 

ASSAM is seeing an 

increasing trend in the 

number of women and 

children who are being 

trafficked, according to the 

United Nations Office on 

Drugs and Crimes. 

The UN body reported 

that recurring floods in Assam 

have led to the displacement 

of a large population 

and traffickers have 

targeted victims of such 

disasters. Other reasons 

include poverty, insurgency 

and communal clashes. 

The State Crime Records 

data shows the total number 

of missing children in 

2011 was 1,565, up from 

899 two years previously. 

In 2011, the number of girls 

trafficked was more than 

double, compared to the 

boys – and the number of 

trafficked women went up 

from 600 in 2009 to 1,243 

two years later. 

In the report, the United 

Nations Office on Drugs 

and Crimes (UNODC) sites 

that Assamese women and 

children are trafficked 

across India – Delhi, Mumbai, 

Punjab, and Gujarat – 

for sexual exploitation, labour 

and forced marriages. 

trafficking 

more than 

doubles in 

two years 

Vulnerable areas in 

Assam include Nagaon, 

Morigaon, Dimakuchi and 

Karimganj districts, particularly 

at the Mizoram and 

Bangladesh borders. 

Illegal recruitment agencies 

have also been very 

active in the North East. 

Many of these agencies 

lure women and girls into 

exploitative working conditions 

abroad. Victims from 

Nagaland were rescued 

from Malaysia after they 

had been sold to prostitution 

rackets. The travel 

agents operating under the 

guise of an NGO, Abel and 

Leo Private Limited, had 

lured girls from the Seven 

Sisters with domestic work 

in Singapore and Malaysia. 

But in one instance, the 

victims were sold to a 

nightclub in Kuala Lumpur. 

Another aspect to the 

problem was revealed in 

The Observer – how 

low wages for tea pickers in 

Assam fuel India’s trade in 

child slavery. 

Plantation workers on 

12p an hour are easy 

prey for traffickers 

who lure away their daughters 

to India’s cities – 

100,000 girls as young as 

12 may be under lock and 

key in Delhi alone. A girl is 

sold by the trafficker to an 

agent for as little as £45, 

sold again to an employer 

for up to £650, where they 

are kept as slaves, raped 

and abused. It is a 21st 

Century slave trade. 

Pressure is now growing 

on big tea brands to ensure 

better pay. 

Manipur king ends his fast over palace eviction 

THE TITULAR king of 

India’s Manipur state, 

Leishemba Sanajaoba, has 

ended a hunger strike that 

he started in protest 

against the state government’s 

decision to evict him 

from his ancestral palace. 

The king began his fast 

on 24 June and only 

broke his fast after being 

requested to do so by 

women’s groups and non 

-governmental organisations. 

They wanted the king 

to start dialogue with the 

Manipur government. 

The Manipur royal family 

occupied the Kangla Palace 

– now a museum – after 

the 1891 Anglo-Manipur 

War and built the Sana 

Konung for the royals to 

live in. 

State officials want to take 

over the Sana Konung Palace 

and develop it as a 

heritage site despite a 2006 

agreement that reportedly 

states that no decision 

about the palace would be 

taken without the monarch’s 

consent. The king 

says he feels betrayed. 

The government says the 

takeover will ensure that 

royal artefacts will be 

preserved for future 

generations.



13 

Riddhiman Das was seven when he 

sat in front of a computer, nine when he became a 

coder, and 22 when he met the US president 

the man from Jorhat 

who made a forest 

JADAY PAYENG is the 

man who created the forest 

singlehandedly in Jorhat - 

350km from Guwahati. 

The forest is a safe haven 

for birds, deer, rhinos, 

tigers and elephants – 

species increasingly at risk 

from habitat loss. 

It all started way back in 

1979 when floods washed 

a large number of snakes 

ashore on the sandbar. 

One day, after the waters 

had receded, Payeng, only 

16 then, found the place 

dotted with the dead reptiles.That 

was the turning 

point of his life. 

Now 47, Payeng said: 

“The snakes died in the 

heat, without any tree 

cover. I sat down and wept 

over their lifeless forms. It 

was carnage. 

“I alerted the forest department 

and asked them if 

they could grow trees 

there. They said nothing 

would grow there. Instead, 

they asked me to try growing 

bamboo. It was painful, 

but I did it. 

“There was nobody to 

help me. Nobody was 

interested.” 

Leaving his education and 

home, he started living on 

the sandbar. Payeng willingly 

accepted a life of isolation. 

He followed the forest 

department’s advice 

and planted lots of bamboo. 

After a few years, the 

sandbar was transformed 

into a bamboo thicket. 

After this success, he decided 

to grow proper trees. 

He collected many kinds of 

different plants for planting. 

He also transported red 

ants from his village, which 

help change the soil’s properies, 

and he was stung 

many times in the process. 

The spot today hosts a 

sprawling 1360 acres of 

jungle that Payeng planted 

– singlehandedly. 

The Assam state forest 

department learnt about 

Payeng’s forest only in 

2008. Locals, whose 

homes had been destroyed 

by the pachyderms, wanted 

to cut down the forest, but 

Payeng dared them to kill 

him instead. He treats the 

trees and animals like his 

own children. Payeng has 

been at it for 30 years. Had 

he been in any other country, 

he would have been 

made a hero – though now 

he is finally getting the 

recognition he deserves. 

innovator wins white house award 

IT PROBABLY never 

crossed the mind of sevenyear-old 

Riddhiman Das as 

he sat at in front of his 

computer in Guwahati that 

15 years later he would receive 

an award from the 

President of the United 

States for his achievements 

as an immigrant innovator 

and entrepreneur. 

This summer, Das was 

recognised for his invaluable 

contribution in computer 

science and its application 

for the welfare and 

progress of the US at the 

“Champions of Change 

Award” event at the White 

House. 

It was the 22-year-old’s 

second meeting with 

Barack Obama, after he 

received the US Ignite Next 

-Generation Developers’ 

recognition last January – 

making him one of the most 

sought after software 

developers in the industry. 

The White House 

explained in a statement: 

“As an undergraduate student, 

he co-founded three 

start-up tech companies 

and is also heavily involved 

with a Kansas City-based 

technology startup that has 

commercialised the 

EyePrint verification System 

as a simple, safe replacement 

for entering 

passwords on smart 

phones.” 

Accolades for the former 

student of Guwahati’s Don 

Bosco School have been 

coming in for many 

years. He was 

honoured as one of the 10 

best undergraduates by Bill 

Gates and Google called 

him as one of the world’s 

top 10 graduates in 2012.



the literary café 

compiled by Kavita Das 


supreme 

sun 


ocean’s 

lullaby 

Whenever there’s Sun, it’s always fun, 

No matter what people say, 

Since, the Sun will always shine on you, 

In every different way. 

So normally people would say: Hurray! 

The world can see 

That this is nature’s true beauty. 

Surely lovely and 

Absolutely heavenly. 

Clouds and rain 

Sit in the sky in vain, 

Because the Sun 

Is the best (or really the main). 

Outside it’s sunny, 

Inside me I’m sunny. 

To feel sunny, 

No need of money, 

Just think about the sun being sunny. 

So come on! 

Be sunny as the Sun, 

Always have great fun 

Never stay in the dark, 

Be happy as a lark…… 

TODAY! 

Gently, the waves lull the ocean to sleep 

Gently, the stars whisper songs 

Sleep now, let tomorrow wait 

Sleep till a new dawn has risen 

Softly, the moon cradles restless waters 

Softly, the waves lap the shore 

The striking black sky waves farewell 

To the dying light of the sun 

Just for night will the sea rest 

Just for the night will it dream 

Churning waters shall die down 

Awaiting the promise of dawn 

Quietly, the gull ends its cries 

Quietly, the black night creeps in 

As tomorrow draws near, 

Soon the burning sun, 

Shall light the sky once more. 

by 

Navina 

Arora 

by 

Anoushka 

Das



15 

I believe in the power of words, marvel at the magic created 

and in the emotions painted with words. In this section you 

will read works by talented writers; young and not so young 

nerves turn 

to pride during 

assam trip 

by Aanya Das 

MY RECENT visit to 

Guwahati, Assam, India was 

a lot more exciting than I anticipated 

it to be. 

As I entered the symposia 

for my mother’s (Dr Kavita 

Das) charity, Nevida Healthcare, 

about to give the introductory 

speech, I distinctly 

remember being a bundle of 

nerves. 

However, after being introduced 

to four of the wonderful 

speakers and guests, Dr 

Dipesh Bhagabati, Dr Neelakshi 

Mahanda, Dr Chandana 

Sharma and Dr Annada 

Charan Bhagabati, all 

nerves dissipated and I was 

extremely interested to hear 

about something I honestly 

did not know much about, 

dementia. 

I was definitely not 

disappointed. 

The speakers were innovative, 

and each gave an inside 

view into the mindset of an 

old person with this illness. 

The interaction between the 

audience of trainee nurses 

and others and the speaker 

was inspiring to watch, as 

was the passion each lecturer 

spoke with. After an 

exhausting but exhilarating 

day of introducing and 

listening to each speaker 

and writing out certificates, 

the symposia was over, but 

not after a few interviews for 

the speakers by the local 

news. 

The experience of watching 

my mother’s charity grow 

was inspiring, and I hope 

that I can continue to help 

the charitable work in relation 

to key knowledge of 

mental health, physical 

health and well-being 

issues in older people. 

the rose-la rose 

In a field, a rose stands empty, 

Drenched with dew and tears, 

From everyone who has cried into its claret 

petals, 

It is stained with love, yet remorse. 

Often, people would admire the rose, 

They stroked its purple streaks, 

And gazed into its pollinated centre, 

With red, tear-stained eyes. 

Frequently, I would seek company with the 

rose, 

Inhaling its sweet fragrance, 

And drifting away to my own distant world, 

It was my portal. 

In my thoughts, the rose is huge, 

Surrounded by other colourful flowers, 

It was my dream garden; 

I smiled whenever I entered it. 

As I bumped back down to reality, 

I traced a smile because it was still there, 

The rose was my friend-my companion, 

But it was slowly withering. 

Its once soft petals turned black and crispy, 

Shrinking until they were no larger than a 

baby’s thumbnail, 

And horrible, thorny weeds, 

Sealed the rose like 

a coffin. 

by 

Rengoni 

Bhuyan



book of nritya hasta 

by Anil Ranjan Barthakur 

TO THE art lovers of the 

world, Indian classical 

dances have been in the 

sparkling spotlight throughout 

the ages. In India and 

abroad, more and more of 

them are increasingly participating 

in this art form as 

viewers and practitioners. 

I have compiled an illustrated 

book called Nritya 

Hasta ( Hand Languages) 

variety of dances. 

Padmasree and Sangeet 

Natak Academy Award 

Winner Dr Sunil Kothari – 

who is a scholar, historian 

and an authority of Indian 

Classical dances – has 

written ‘an Appreciation’ at 

the beginning of the book. 

He has mentioned that 

this book will immensely 

help the young generation 

through the book is almost 

similar to that of enthralling 

dance recital. 

“It leaves one with a 

sense of inner enrichment 

and artistic satisfaction. 

There lies the success of 

the artist in the author.” 

As a doctor, I studied 

anatomy and was also interested 

in drawing, painting, 

and sculpture from an 

aesthetic feelings, creative 

impulses and devotional 

urges. 

It makes our lives dynamic, 

vibrant and enjoyable. 

This wonderful spiritual 

experience that I 

always wanted to share 

with everyone. 

Generally, we communicate 

our feelings through 

simple words and normal 

Peacock (Kathak) 

Shiva (Kathak) 

Vishnu (Kathak) 

Shiva (Kathakali) 

Vishnu (Kathakali) 

Peacock Swan (Kathakali) 

in Classical Dances of India 

as a humble attempt to 

assist beginners and ‘lay 

people’ to understand the 

significances of hand languages 

in all the classical 

dances of India. 

These dance forms include 

Bharat Natyam, 

Kathak, Kuchipudi, Odissi, 

Manipuri and Sattriya. 

For all these, I have 

attempted to illustrate, 

through my paintings, the 

intricate meanings of 

different hastas in these 

to ‘delve deep into the 

classical dance art of India’. 

In conclusion, he has 

written: “I heartily welcome 

this book and am confident 

it would be of great asset 

to not only dancers but 

also interested in dance.” 

The foreword has been 

written by Professor Amarjyoti 

Choudhury, the 

former Vice Chancellor of 

Gauhati University and an 

art connoisseur. 

He wrote: “Overall, the 

experience of going 

early age. 

To me, the fragrance and 

the flavour of the art-form 

of dance flows from the 

hand gestures (Nritya hastas): 

the pivot of the art 

and science of the classical 

dance of India. 

In this world, when we 

look around and see the 

beauty and grandeur of 

Creation, our hearts are 

filled with creation, our 

hearts are filled with divine 

joyfulness. This exalted 

state awakens our dormant 

body gestures, but when 

we are overwhelmed with 

ecstasy, we find that simple 

words are not enough. 

To share such experiences 

with others, we take recourse 

to poems, music 

and rhythmic movements 

of our body including facial 

movements and eyes. 

Together all these display 

the outward manifestations 

of our innermost happiness 

and as a whole constitute 

what is known as the 

Classical Dances of India.



17 

1968: passage to uk 

£3,10s in my pocket by Nilmoni Sikdar 

I SUPPOSE, like most 

little boys, I had a dream to 

become a railway engine 

driver. This, however, was 

not to be. 

Instead, I started my early 

school years with the Irish 

Christian Brothers in 

Shillong and heard their 

stories about Ireland and 

England. They fired me 

with imagination, 

inquisitiveness and an inspiration 

to visit new and 

exotic places and people. 

I graduated from Assam 

Medical College, Dibrugarh 

and worked as a junior hospital 

doctor there before 

transferring to 

Guwahati Medical College. 

Life as a junior doctor was 

tough. The modest salary 

was barely enough to make 

ends meet. 

At that time, to me, the 

political situation and economic 

scenario was grim 

and this was a stage I 

wanted to leave. 

So I left for the United 

Kingdom on 12 October 

1968 and do not regret my 

decision. 

The Reserve Bank of 

India gave me £3 and 10 

shillings, around Rs70, with 

a shilling equivalent to 5p in 

today’s money. That was 

all I was allowed to take out 

of India, so those hardearned 

savings I had made 

since graduating amounted 

to nothing. 

My life in UK started on 

an autumnal morning after 

having an exciting flight 

from Dum Dum Airport, 

Calcutta (now Kolkata) to 

London Heathrow. My longtime 

friend Dr Ramakant 

Bhartia and his friends 

came to meet me at the 

airport. 

My first car ride in UK was 

in a Ford Escort driven by 

Dr Bhartia along the M1. 

The motorway appeared to 

me like a huge tarmac field 

with cars speeding like bullets. 

The other thing that 

intrigued me was the wearing 

of seat belts. I have experienced 

it in planes but in 

cars I thought it was odd. 

While I was admiring the 

‘the frugal 

amount of 

money...set a 

big life 

challenge’ 

picturesque English countryside, 

the time came for a 

comfort break at a service 

station. I was enthralled by 

the cleanliness and standard 

of service provided. 

We had a modest snack. 

When the bill arrived it was 

about 10 shillings. 

For the sake of courtesy, I 

dug my hand in my pocket 

and was abruptly stopped 

by Ramakant. He asked 

me if I part with that cash, 

how long would the balance 

of £3 last? Not long. 

It was evening by the time 

we arrived at Ramakant's 

apartment. I was warmly 

welcomed by Sashi Bhartia 

with a babe in her arms – 

ten-day-old baby Bobby, 

who is now a consultant 

radiologist. 

I stayed with the Bhartias 

for quite a while and during 

that time I met with, and 

talked to, many friendly 

people who gave me good 

advice for making a go of 

life in the UK. 

The frugal amount of 

money I had to start out 

with—about £350 in today’s 

money—set a big life 

challenge for me. I could 

return back to India but that 

would be accepting defeat. 

At the time, Labour was in 

power with Harold Wilson 

was prime minister. The 

government was keen to 

expand and modernise the 

National Health Service 

(NHS) and there was a 

global recruitment drive for 

doctors and nurses. 

I got a post as a young 

doctor. Back then we didn’t 

have the benefit of the 

European Convention of 

Health and Safety, which 

limits the number of hours 

someone can work. So it 

meant life was tough but 

that meant I could start 

saving again. 

It was eight years after I 

arrived in the UK, that my 

wife Geeta, known 

as Bee, joined me 

on 3 June 1976. 

One of the 

happiest 

days of 

my life 

was 

receiving her at 

Heathrow 

airport. She 

adapted very well to 

life in UK and it was not 

long before our first son 

Rinku was born – followed 

a few years after by our 

youngest Paul, completing 

my family. 

I have spent a good fourand-half 

decades in Britain 

and have witnessed the 

country’s drastic social 

change. Much of this came 

during the sixties – with 

flower power, the advent of 

contraceptive pill and the 

Beatles bringing a revolution 

in the music world. 

With this backdrop, I 

worked my way across the 

UK. I must have worked in 

at least 50 different hospitals 

from Devon to 

Southend-on-Sea to Aberdeen. 

When I look at what I 

have now – a wonderful 

wife, children and family – I 

know it was worth it. 

So, like many of my 

counterparts, my journey to 

UK started with £3, 10s in 

my pocket. There’s no 

doubt it was a long winding 

road but it was to be the 

road of ultimate success 

and happiness. 

Pounds 

and shilling s 

before 

decimalisation



caring for the nhs 

by Nagendra Sarmah 

I CAME TO England in 

July 1965. Coming from the 

Indian subcontinent, I was 

excited to work in an 

English hospital but I was 

also apprehensive. 

My first experience of the 

NHS started in Nantwich, a 

rural Cheshire town, where 

I joined as a Senior House 

Officer (SHO) in Obstetrics 

and Gynaecology (O&G). 

I soon found my feet and 

felt confident as my Consultant 

praised my command 

of English and my 

patients were happy with 

my bedside manner. 

Working in an NHS hospital 

was hard; I had to work 

120 hours per week, and 

long weekends starting on 

a Friday afternoon until 

Monday morning. 

After working for nearly 

two years for the South 

Cheshire group of hospitals, 

I moved to Manchester. 

One posting was as 

‘in 60s & 70s 

there were 

few Black 

and Asian 

consultants’ 

SHO at Wythenshawe Maternity 

Hospital. This was a 

teaching hospital but my 

job was not easier. 

I recall situations such as 

being left in charge for a 

long weekend with only the 

help of two medical students 

to cover the 84-bed 

Maternity Unit and 25-bed 

Gynae unit. 

During the sixties and 

seventies, it was very difficult 

for an Asian doctor to 

get a senior position in a 

hospital and there were 

very few Black and Asian 

consultants. 

I always remember how the 

future of my career depended 

on just one consultant´s 

reference. Today, 

globalisation and ease of 

travel have changed that 

and the UK´s ethnic composition 

has obviously 

changed from the sixties. 

Back to the sixties and I 

could not get a registrar 

post in O&G in Wythenshawe. 

So I changed my 

speciality to Anaesthesia 

and move to Bolton but 

soon returned to O&G. 

I moved to Liverpool in 

the seventies, but there 

were no married quarters, 

and, by then, my wife and I 

had two small children. 

So, the time had come for 

me to end my hospital 

career and join General 

Practice to settle down. 

In the sixties and seventies, 

a doctor was a respected 

figure of the community 

and it was a highly 

regarded profession. Now, I 

am not so sure. Today, I 

believe a doctor is more of 

a service commodity in a 

more litigious society with a 

doctor-bashing culture. 

It was April 1972 when I 

had my first experience of 

General Practice – starting 

out in the Potteries, in 

Trentham, Stoke on Trent. 

But when I saw a vacancy 

in South Manchester, I was 

keen to go back to the city. 

This, I thought, should be 

my final move. 

I was responsible for 

3,300 patients 24 hours a 

day. I found General Practice 

very interesting, especially 

in the community aspect 

as I was aware that 

my role was valuable to 

patients and their families—I 

even did home 

deliveries on request. 

In spite of some health 

problems, I continued to 

work steadfastly, including 

taking out-of-hours emergency 

calls up to 10pm. 

After a successful career, 

I decided to retire in June 

2001. This was a very sad 

moment for me but in view 

of my health situation and 

my wife´s desire for me to 

retire, I had to say 

“goodbye” to the NHS, albeit 

with sadness. 

‘GP contracts 

remain an 

unhappy 

issue for the 

NHS’ 

I had seen a lot of 

changes in the NHS from 

the time of Kenneth Robinson 

and Sir Keith Joseph 

(the then Health Secretaries) 

to the time I retired. I 

still remember Sir Kenneth’s 

reorganisation of the 

Health Service, including 

the imposition of the government´s 

new contract on 

GPs. This created unhappiness 

among hospitals and 

most GPs did not approve 

of the new contract. And 

today we see GP contracts 

are still an unhappy area 

for the NHS. 

Do I have regrets for 

working in the NHS? I enjoyed 

my career, and am 

proud of my continual service 

of care, but I regret 

that people in authority and 

Government not showing 

this same care. I devoted 

my time to the care of my 

patients but in doing so did 

not find sufficient time to 

spend with my family. This I 

regret now.



19 

uaauk charity works 

by Manju Barkataki 

It was 1979, a year that 

Assam was going through 

a very turbulent period. The 

student movement was going 

from strength to 

strength and Assam responded 

to their call of 

“AAHOi AAH ULAIi AAh”. 

The Non-Resident Assamese 

population in Britain 

also could not ignore that 

call and extended their 

hand. 

As a result the Assam Association 

of the UK was 

born towards the later part 

of 1979 – the forerunner to 

the Association that we 

know today. 

At that time, Assam was a 

very remote place for the 

rest of the world. News 

travelled at a snail’s pace. 

Communication through 

telephone or newspapers 

from Assam was very poor. 

News from Assam reached 

the outside world very 

slowly and sometimes incorrect 

news was being 

broadcast or published. 

In the very 

beginning, the 

main aim of 

the Association 

was to give a 

real picture of 

the situation of 

Assam to the 

outside world and 

to support the 

cause of the people. 

This especially came 

to light after The Nellie 

Massacre took place in 

1983. Thousands of 

locals were slaughtered 

across 14 villages of 

the Nagaon district 

and yet the BBC World 

Service did not get the accurate 

information and 

gave some negative publicity. 

After an incorrect broadcast, 

a delegation from the 

Assam Association went to 

the BBC and a special reporter 

Prakash Mirchandani 

was sent to Assam to assess 

the real situation. 

‘I urge 

members to 

help Assam 

with an open 

heart’ 

As the movement gathered 

momentum, the Assam 

Association sent some 

token money to support the 

student movement from 

time to time. 

Later on, when the student 

movement took a political 

turn, the Assam 

Association here felt it 

could not follow and turned 

into a non-political charitable 

organisation. 

In 1999, the Assam Association 

took a new name 

and became United Assam 

Association of UK (Uaauk) 

The Uaauk is a special 

organisation which unites 

like-minded people of all 

generations who have a 

link with Assam. 

A two-day annual event 

organised by the Association 

brings the whole community 

under one roof as 

one family. 

Besides sponsoring and 

giving a platform to an upcoming 

young artist from 

Assam each year, the Association 

raises and donates 

money for a variety 

of causes across Assam. 

At first, the Association 

raised money after natural 

disasters in Assam – 

mainly for the annual flood 

situation. As the 

Association did 

not receive any 

response from 

the Authorities 

about the 

donations 

sent, the 

members 

decided to 

support and donate 

directly to affordable 

causes of individuals and/ 

or small organisations. 

Though the Association is 

a very small organisation it 

makes a difference. And I 

urge all members to try to 

help and support causes 

from Assam with an open 

heart. Long live Uaauk. 

examples of 

the association’s 

charitable works 

1997 – 1998 

Donation was made to a selfhelp 

group of women to buy 

sewing machine in 

Guwahati through the 

Association of the Inner 

Wheel 

1999—2000 

Donation was made to 

Red Cross, Assam Branch 

2001—2002 

A donation was sent to 

Assam Sishu Sadan Trust, 

an orphanage in Guwahati 

2002—2003 

Donation sent to 

Eye Camp in Assam 

2008—2009 

After the bomb blasts in 

Guwahati, a donation was 

made to UK-based charity 

Just For Assam that 

organised the 

rehabilitation of five 

families 

2008—2009 

Money was raised for a 

special cardiac pacemaker for 

a young girl 

2010 

Money was raised for a 

kidney transplant for young 

mother Mrs Ipsita Sarma 

2012 

Donation was made towards 

a wheel chair for young girl 

Miss Silsila Das in Sishu 

Sarothi, Guwahati



How quickly a year 

has gone! And it’s been 

another busy year for 

the Assamese 

Community in the UK. 

You’ve already heard 

about the London Bihu, 

the fifth anniversary for 

Assam Sports Day and 

the start of a new 

tradition—the 

Association’s Diwali 

celebrations. 

But here are some 

more titbits of what’s 

been happening since 

last Assam 

Day weekend. 

Though some say the 

Assam Aunties hear all 

we may have missed 

something, so please 

do get in touch if you 

have news. 

rishi razor lot of money 

with bandit look 

Some have jokingly said 

that Rishi Kakati could pass 

himself off as a Mexican 

bandit – well, it was definitely 

the look (or Bollywood 

villain?) he went for 

during Movember; when 

he grew a handlebar 

assamese 

Indira Sharma 

moustache for month of 

November to raise money 

for charity. 

Pictured is his progress 

from day one to thirty. Rishi 

raised £600, with Citigroup 

adding another 30% on 

what he raised. 

Social butterfly Rini 

Kakati has had another 

busy year from helping to 

facilitate Ranjit Gogoi's 

Dance Troupe’s tour of 

the UK and Ireland in 

June to a seminar called 

"The role of India's Global 

Development,” chaired by 

Assamese-born journalist 

Rita Payne. 

Dr Nagendra Sarmah 

is building relations in the 

UK between Assam and 

Bengal, after being 

appointed the president 

and chairman of the 

Greater Manchester 

Hindu Bengali Cultural 

Association. He admits to 

being a little nervous at 

first but is now into his 

stride. 

wedding bells ring out since last assam day 

We could not go a year 

without attending at least one 

amazing wedding 

celebration. Fortunately 

between us we 

managed to go to a 

couple. 

On 14 June, Shabana 

Bora, daughter of 

Julie and Ashraf 

Bora, became 

Mrs Andrews, 

when 

she wed Barry in an intimate 

country setting ceremony. 

The following day Julie, the 

daughter of Rama and Sashi 

Bhartia, had a Hindu marriage 

ceremony with Gerald 

(Gerry) Downey at Barnsley’s 

Holiday Inn. The 

couple then legally wed 

on 15 June 2013 in 

Harrogate 

at the Rudding Park hotel. 

The great news 

was that after a 

serious illness 

Sashi was able 

attend as 

the proud 

mother 

of the 

bride.



21 

aunties 

and Gitika Saikia reveal all 

Lots achievements—as 

you would expect this year. 

Among the high achievers 

is Dr Riju Kakati, who last 

year obtained an MBA from 

HULT international business 

school. 

Dr Samantha Saikia 

(yes, daughter of one of the 

Assamese Aunties and 

daughter of Adhita) 

completed here FRCR 

(radiology fellowship 

exam) in November 2012. 

Daughter of Satish and 

Christine Mahanta, Rianne 

graduated this summer and 

received a BEng in Medical 

Engineering from Swansea 

University on 11 July. 

patter of tiny feet grows louder 

In the last twelve months 

there’s been quite a few 

new additions to our 

Assamese family here in 

the United Kingdom. 

Below are pictures of just 

some of the new 

arrivals since last Assam 

Day weekend, 

From left to right: On 4 

February 2013, Rita and 

Rushin Shah became 

parents for 

the first 

time, 

Meanwhile, her brother 

Riki, since his graduation, 

is working for PwC in Milton 

Keynes. 

with the arrival of baby 

Raahi Rushin Shah. His 

doting mother tells us that 

Raahi means traveller in 

Sanskrit and that he's a 

really active baby. Raahi 

goes on play dates, prenursery 

and even baby 

gym several times a week! 

On 16 May 2013, Sanjay 

Taank and Ruby Kakati 

Taank's beautiful daughter 

Ria-Rose was born. Her 

birth made Dr Benu Kakati 

and his wife Prativa two 

happy grandparents. 

Pictured with her sister 

Jemima, is baby 

Penelope who was 

There 

is no 

doubt we have 

many 

talented 

members of the 

Assamese community 

in the United Kingdom 

and Meneka PP Bora 

is among them. Further 

proof of her talents as a 

Indian classical dancer and 

choreographer came when 

she performed at this year’s 

Edinburgh Festival. Not an 

easy gig to get. 

born on 1 November 2012. 

Her proud parents are 

Simon Rycroft and Trishna 

Rycroft – the latter being 

the daughter of Drs Nipen 

Bibhra Saikia. 

And Bublee and Ankul 

Goswami welcomed their 

second daughter who was 

born on 28 March 2013, 

weighing in at 3.43 kgs. 

But it wasn’t until about the 

second week of May that 

her name was unveiled as 

little Yonah Reeha. 

missed 

but never 

forgotten 

SINCE the last Assam Day 

gathering, we have sadly lost 

several members of our 

community in Britain. 

Our condolences to their 

families. They will be missed 

but not forgotten. 

Dr Dipak Dutta passed 

away on 23 May 2013. The 

Association’s General Secretary 

Dr Nripen Barkataki 

paid tribute saying: “We will 

miss his kind and gentle 

nature. It is a sad loss to 

our community.” 

Dr Bimal Chaliha died on 

5 May 2013. Uaauk executive 

committee member 

Rini Kakati said: “My heart 

goes out to his family and I 

pray that they have the 

strength to endure this 

immense loss.”



playing the game 

compiled by Neera Borkakoti 

How will you colour in this one-horned rhinos? 

Can you find your way from point 1 to point 2 

1 

2 

How many 

Indian personalities’ 

faces can you see? 

Can you find your way out and to the exit?



23 

Exercise your mind with these puzzles 

These games are 

purely just for fun 

spot the difference 



Can you see ten differences between the 

original picture of the horn player on the left 

and the amended picture on the right? 

What colour will 

you make this 

bride’s 

wedding 

outfit? 

See if you can find these words associated to Assam 

that are listed below. Words are placed in all directions 

i.e. diagonally in any of the four diagonal possibilities, 

forward, back, up and down. 

AITA 

ASSAM 

AUTO 

BHAT 

word maze 

BIHU 

KAZIRANGA 

KOKA 

MANGO 

RICKSHAW 

RUPEE 

TEA 

TENGA

want to contribute? 

If you would like to write for the next edition 

please email Nina Goswami: 

nina_goswami@hotmail.com 

feedback: 

The executive committee of the United Assam Association of the UK 

is keen to hear your thoughts about this year’s event. 

Please visit our website: 

assamassociation.org.uk 

and click on ‘contact’ to email us your thoughts and advice. 

The committee looking forward to hearing from you.

the association 2013

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