Jamuna Sarma Chaudhury, principal of Cotton College, and Indra Kumar Bhattacharya, former principal, release the comic in Guwahati on Saturday. Picture by UB Photos

Guwahati, Dec. 17: Burhi Aair Xadhu, the most popular collection of tales by litterateur Lakhminath Bezbaruah, is now available in comic form, thanks to the efforts of Cotton College students.

The students and faculty members of the Centre for Mass Communication and Journalism (CMCJ) of the college have been working hard for the past three months to create these comic books and make them available to the state’s children.

The first edition of the comic book, with 12 selected stories, was released on the college premises today.

Bharati Bharali, a senior faculty member of the department, said they believed the collection of stories in Burhi Aair Xadhu had fascinated generations of children ever since it was first published in 1911 and was one of the most potent tools of mass communication.

“Besides children, the comic will also help those Assamese people who do not have command over the language but want to know about its rich literary elements,” Bharali said.

She added that they had selected those stories for the comic book, which have been very popular among the people for decades.

Bharali said two students from the physics department of the college and three from CMCJ had made all the sketches used in the book.

Since Burhi Aair Xadhu was first published in 1911, countless other children’s books have hit the market and numerous serials have been telecast on television channels, but the book’s popularity has not diminished even slightly. Rather, every passing year has added something to make it more popular.

Bharali said the other stories of Burhi Aair Xadhu would also be printed in comic form. “We hope our efforts will get good response,” she added.

She said their efforts would also contribute to Assamese literature besides giving the children an opportunity to enjoy the stories.

Tejimola, Bhekulir Xadhu, Silonir Jiyekor Xadhu, Lotkon, Champaboti, Xoronbjan, Tikhor aru Sutibai and Numolia Po are some of the tales included in the comic book.