Assam University, Silchar releases documentary on two Sanskrit-speaking villages in Barak Valley

Assam University, Silchar has recently produced a documentary film titled ‘Dharohar: The Resurrection’, which was officially released on Tuesday by the Vice Chancellor of Assam University, Prof. Rajive Mohan Pant at the Hemanga Biswas Sabha Kaksha in Assam University, Silchar. 

Written and directed by Dr. Paromita Das, Associate Professor at the Department of Mass Communication, Assam University, Silchar, the 22-minute film is based on the two Sanskrit-speaking villages located in the Karimganj district of Assam, which use the ancient language for their usual communication. The film depicts how the residents of these two villages have nurtured and integrated the language into their cultural identity.

The film was released under the presence of dignitaries such as Dr. Pradosh Kiran Nath, Registrar of Assam University, Prof. Piyush Pandey, IQAC Director, Prof. Gyan Prakash Pandey, Dean of Abanindra Nath Tagore School of Creative Arts & Communication Studies (ANTSCACS), and Prof. Sudipto Roy, HoD of CSE and Chairman of Research and Development Cell.

Kutub Uddin Ansari and Jyotish Dutta are the assistant directors of the film. Ansari has also served as the Editor of the film. The film is available to watch on the official YouTube channel, Twitter handle, and Facebook pages of Assam University. 

The two Sanskrit-speaking villages of Anipur Basti and Patiala Basti of Karimganj district in Barak Valley have adopted Sanskrit as their language of communication within the village. They not only speak in Sanskrit but have also adopted the Sanatan culture in their daily life which reflects in their Vedic chantings and performing yagyas every month, translating folk songs into Sanskrit, thereby making them a unique and rare community seeking to mainstream and restore the lost glory of the Sanskrit language.

Talking to Barak Bulletin, Director Dr. Paromita Das said, “There are seven official Sanskrit-speaking villages in India. Through this documentary, we want to get these two villages of Barak Valley officially recognized by the Government as the eighth and ninth Sanskrit-speaking villages in India. We will initiate the process of appealing to the concerned authority of the Government regarding this official acknowledgment so that these two gems of our Barak Valley get their due recognition for preserving and nurturing the ancient language of Sanskrit.”

After its official release on Tuesday, the documentary film was screened at Anipur Basti on Friday for the local people of the village. The film was screened under the presence of Prof. Rajive Mohan Pant, Dr. Anirban Dash, Director at National Manuscript Mission, New Delhi, Dr. Aashish Bilas Bhave, Secretary at Centre for Northeast Studies, New Delhi, Prof. Gyan Prakash Pandey, Dean of ANTSCACS, Dr. Pradosh Kiran Nath, Dr. Paromita Das, Director of ‘Dharohar: The Resurrection’, as well as the entire crew of the documentary film.

The makers of the film, as well as the entire Assam University fraternity, hopes that this documentary film helps in promoting and creating awareness about the Sanskrit language in the mainstream narrative of our Indian culture and, along the way help in its overall revival in the contemporary society.