Jyoti Lal Chowdhury in Silchar
Silchar: It was a moment, both sad and sweet, when at a solemn function held in the auditorium of Guru Charan College here on August 18 evening, a fund under the nomenclature of ‘Keshav Smarak Samiti’ was created in order to perpetuate the memory of Pritam Bhattacharjee, a meritorious student and research scholar of the town, who was waylaid by some goons and brutally murdered while on his way to Delhi from Bihar by train.
The function began with lighting of the lamp by Prof Somnath Das Gupta, Vice-Chancellor of the Assam University. At the outset, Shri Pranab Kumar Paul Choudhury, secretary, Keshav Smarak Samiti, introduced the activities of the Samiti. He said the fund was enriched with the donation of Rs 16 lakh by Dr Sankar Bhattacharjee, the father of Pritam, which he got as insurance claim of his son. With the fund meritorious needy students would be helped in pursuit of their knowledge and higher studies.
Dr Sankar Bhattacharjee, Prof. Apratim Nag, lecturer in the Department of Physics of GC College, Dr NC Malakar, Principal in charge, GC College, Dr Dipak Bhattacharjee, former MLA and president of ‘Justice for Pritam Forum’ also spoke on the occasion. Prof Somnath Das Gupta lauded the extraordinary step by Keshav Smarak Samiti to extend helping hand to the students achieving brilliant results in their examination.
On this occasion, Sarmistha Paul, a student of Karimganj College, who secured best result in physics, was awarded a gold medal along with a cheque of Rs. 5,000. Anulekha Paul, a student of Guru Charan College, with her best result in physics, was also awarded a memento and a cheque of Rs. 5,000. Rustina Suchiang, former student of Saraswati Vidya Niketan, Dolu, and presently studying in Vivekananda Commerce College, received a memento and a cheque of Rs. 3,000 for her excellent performance in National Level Science Exhibition. From next year three more prizes would be awarded. One would be in the memory of the Sanskrit teacher , Khitish Paul Choudhury. A student securing highest marks in Sanskrit honours would get a gold medal and cash prize.
Two more awards would go to the highest marks scorers in arts and commerce streams of Women’s College in memory of the grandmother of Pritam, Kamala Bhattacharjee. Another award dedicated to the memory of Pritam’s aunt, Bithika Bhattacharjee, would be for poor and needy students as well as those calling for financial help in their sickness and hospitalisation. Besides, it has also been decided to hold ‘Pritam Memorial Lecture’ every year.
