The new record room

Sept. 15: Digging into Nagaon’s history just got easier, thanks to a new mahafezkhana or record room built near the deputy commissioner’s office campus. The new record room, inaugurated recently by chief minister Tarun Gogoi, contains official records from 1828 — five years before Nagaon was officially declared a district.

Deputy commissioner J. Balaji said the documents had been restored and categorisation will begin soon.

“Barring confidential office records, everything will be computerised to upgrade the record room into an online institution. We dream of making it a most reliable place for advanced study and research,” Balaji said.

The new record room was a Rs 1.11-crore project, the foundation stone for which was laid by forest minister Rockybul Hussain in March last year.

“The old record room was almost a snake’s nest and it was impossible for employees to enter it. It took almost 15 months to complete the restoration work. By that time construction of the new two-storey building in the vicinity of the office of the deputy commissioner was also completed. Shifting of the documents is partially done,” said an official in the district administration.

Interestingly, four guns used or seized by British officials were found in the heap of records.

All gazettes from 1828, official records relating to the Phulaguri mutiny, documents containing handwritings of people like Anandaram Dhekiyal Phukan, a renowned Assamese litterateur, and Lt Herbert Scronz, one of the first deputy commissioners of Nagaon, have also been preserved.

“Some of the records which have educational and historical value have been showcased. But some documents, which we feel may have great historical interest, remain to be explored. We hope research scholars will be able to trace the importance of these documents in the days to come,” said additional deputy commissioner P. Rajkhowa, who has been the guiding force behind the restoration.

“Documents of official orders imposing fines on junior employees for smoking inside the court toilet or decisions to start office from 6am for the natural silence on the court campus or papers containing experiences of British deputy commissioners will be interesting and might amuse visitors. We have restored several copies of Arunoday as well,” said Nagaon district information and public relations officer Rajib Saikia.

Nagaon was declared a district in 1833, including parts from Morigaon and Karbi Anglong.

“We have heard that some documents have already been stolen from the record room while some were damaged long back. If our mahafezkhana had these documents, we could have unearthed more facts about the district’s independence struggle,” said an employee in the deputy commissioner’s office.