The contributions of North-East India towards the history and civilisation of the country had not received proper recognition or even attention from scholars and experts. This imbalance certainly needs to be corrected, not only for the sake of the region but also for that of the nation as a whole. The different components of the history of this region could be given a firmer foothold if scholars from Assam and Manipur put their heads together, either to identify newly admissible material, or to verify already identified material with the help of cross-references to Assamese and Manipuri traditional accounts.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Birendranath Datta
Prof. Birendranath Datta is an eminent folklore scholar of Assam. He has held various academic as well as administrative positions in many institutions in including Guwahati University. He was awarded his Ph.D. by the Guwahati University in 1957 for his thesis entitled, Study on the Folk Culture of the Goalpara District of Assam. He was Professor and Head of Department of Folklore Research at Guwahati University from 1979 till his retirement in 1995. After his retirement he served as Advisor to the Department of Traditional Arts at Tezpur University. He has actively organized a number of regional, national and international seminars and workshops. He has also been recognized in Assam since 1950s as a musician of great standing. He edits various research journals including Assam Academy Review, Guwahati University Journal of Arts, Anandam (a research journal of Anundoram Borooah Institute of Language) and serves on the editorial board of IFRJ. His publications include A Bibliography of Folklore Material of Assam and Adjoining Areas (1978), Folk Toys of Assam (1986), A Handbook of Folklore Material of North-East India (1994), Puppetry in Assam: Past and Present (1999), Assam: The Emerald Treasure Land (1990). Books edited by him include Folksongs of the Misings (1993), Gopinath Bordoloi: A Centenary Tribute (1990) and Traditional Performaing Arts of North-East India. Prof. Datta is currently engated in the preparation of Assamese Encyclopaedia.
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