June 21: A city-based charitable trust has announced a slew of measures to enrich Assamese literature.

Navoday Prakashan, headquartered at Gandhibasti, has appealed to book-lovers to help implement the programmes chalked out by the trust. The trust was set up for promotion and development of Assamese language, literature and culture.

At a recent meeting to felicitate its patrons, president Rohini Kumar Baruah said the trust was planning to translate world-famous books and biographies of different Nobel Laureates into Assamese. He said various programmes undertaken by the trust were progressing at a very slow pace and more needs to be done in this regard.

The meeting was attended by chairman of the Assam Human Rights Commission S.. Phukan, Asam Sahitya Sabha president Birendranath Dutta, his predecessor Lakshmi Nandan Bora, former director general of police Hare Krishna Deka, former vice-chancellor of Gauhati University Nirmal Kumar Choudhury, educationist Ashraf Ali and publisher G.L. Agarwalla.

Phukan said the trust should extend its area of operation to the entire Northeast and approach Doner for funding.

He further said the trust should organise review meetings at regular intervals to rectify flaws. Deka said the trust should work closely with the Asam Sahitya Sabha and lay stress on marketing books published by it. Ali said the trust should never take help from corrupt politicians.

Choudhuri said the trust should also try to bring out a book on the problems faced by the elderly in the city.

The trust’s future plans include:

* A comprehensive, self-sufficient Assamese grammar under the stewardship of litterateur Golok Chandra Goswami and a team of scholars working under his guidance.

* A book on environment under the chief editorship of Lakshmi Nandan Bora, former president of the Sahitya Sabha and the Assam Pollution Control Board.

* A bimonthly children’s magazine to be published under the chief editorship of noted litterateur and children’s literature veteran Gagan Adhikari.

* A booklet on environmental law with financial assistance from the Union ministry of law and justice to be released though the Guwahati chapter of the New Delhi-based Indian Institute of Public Administration.

* To institute a gold medal in memory of late Alauddin Ahmed to the student securing first position in the matriculation examination.