Emergency Campaign Launched to Save Assam's Flood-Damaged Manuscripts
Urgent Restoration Efforts for Historical Manuscripts
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Guwahati, August 4: Amid rising concerns regarding the safeguarding of Assam’s cultural and historical documents in areas affected by flooding, a private university has initiated an urgent campaign for the restoration and conservation of precious Sanchipat manuscripts that were damaged during the recent floods in Upper Assam.
Many private collections of manuscripts and historical texts housed in satras, naamghars, and Buddhist monasteries throughout the region have experienced significant damage due to floodwaters that have engulfed large parts of Upper Assam.
These ancient manuscripts, which are crucial to the State’s literary, religious, and cultural identity, are now at risk from water damage, mud accumulation, and rapid fungal growth.
In response to this crisis, Assam Royal Global University (RGU) has launched a restoration initiative in partnership with the Society for Srimanta Sankaradeva (SSS), located in Dhing, Nagaon.
The objective of this campaign is to recover and safeguard manuscripts from the flood-impacted districts of Sivasagar, Charaideo, Dibrugarh, Jorhat, and Golaghat.
The university has indicated that numerous manuscripts associated with the literary and religious legacies of Srimanta Sankaradeva and Madhabdeva are facing irreversible damage due to prolonged exposure to floodwaters. This initiative aims not only to rescue these manuscripts but also to implement scientific conservation techniques to prevent further deterioration.
Additionally, the university plans to establish a digital archive of these manuscripts within its library to ensure their preservation for future generations. RGU also intends to train volunteers in the methods of conserving and preserving traditional manuscripts for the future.
In an official announcement, the university has called upon all satras, naamghars, Buddhist monasteries, private manuscript custodians, and the general public to provide their full support in this vital effort to protect Assam’s invaluable documentary and cultural heritage.
This initiative comes in light of increasing worries among preservationists regarding the extent of damage inflicted by the floods on Assam’s manuscript heritage.
Preservationist Diganta Hazarika, who recently surveyed the affected regions in Amguri, reported that manuscripts stored at Gajali Satra and Jorabari Satra were submerged during the floods and are now encased in mud. Many manuscripts owned by private collectors have also suffered severe damage.
Hazarika estimated that over 1,000 manuscripts in the impacted areas, including copies of the Naamghosa, Kirtan, and Bhagawat, urgently require conservation efforts. “These manuscripts need to be dried using specialized preservation techniques. I brought 16 severely damaged manuscripts with me because they need immediate attention,” he stated.