Guwahati: The first-ever Assamese Global Conference (AGC) came to a successful close in Guwahati on Saturday, opening a new chapter in efforts to build meaningful and sustained engagement between the global Assamese diaspora and institutions in Assam. The three-day conference, held from January 16 to 18, brought together scholars, professionals, policymakers and Assamese community members from across the world. Conceived under the Global Assamese Engagement Initiative, the conference was the outcome of nearly a year of quiet planning by a small group of organisers who felt the need to take diaspora engagement beyond cultural gatherings and symbolic connections.
A reflective note in the conference souvenir Biswar Chande Chande captured this sentiment well. Dr. Jayanta Choudhary of Lewiston, New York, posed a simple but searching question: what more can the Assamese diaspora do for Assam? While acknowledging the importance of celebrating festivals and preserving language abroad, he pointed out that nostalgia alone cannot sustain Assam’s culture or contribute to its socio-economic progress. He called for honest introspection and a shift towards purposeful, action-oriented engagement. The inaugural session on January 16 was attended by Union Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita, Assam Chief Secretary Ravi Kota and IIT Guwahati Director Devendra Jalihal, who underlined the constructive role the diaspora can play in the state’s development.
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The conference saw participation from over 60 international delegates representing 16 countries, including the US, UK, Germany, Japan, Australia and the UAE. Keynote speakers Pitambara Deva Goswami, Satradhikar of Auniati Satra, and noted academic Amarjyoti Choudhury reflected on Assam’s spiritual, cultural and intellectual legacy. The inaugural programme also featured the screening of the mini-documentary Assam through the Ages, produced by Jayanta Biswa Sarma, and the release of the conference souvenir, rounding off an event that many participants described as thoughtful and forward-looking.
