By MM News,
Guwahati, MAY 2: The 20th annual general meeting of the Minority Welfare Society (MWS) was held in Guwahati on Sunday with a daylong programme. A gathering of over 500 people were present at the event. It may be mentioned that MWS is an umbrella organisation of families that have their roots in the three districts of the Barak Valley but presently settled outside the Valley for reasons of livelihood and professional pursuits.
AW Chowdhury, General Secretary, MWS, presented the annual report of the Society for the year ending Dec 2015 the highlights of which were felicitation of brilliant students, extension of micro finance loans to 28 persons to set up new enterprise entailing a total outlay of over Rs 5.60 lakh, and helping another 20 poor and needy persons under different schemes of the Society.
A 250 page journal ‘Barak’ was unveiled by Abu Saleh Najmuddin, former Health Minister of Assam, at the meeting. This journal is part of an annual programme of the Society and consists of articles on the cultural and historical heritage of the Barak Valley in which contributions are received from overseas as well.
Among eminent personalities who addressed the gathering were Dr Anwaruddin Choudhury IAS, Commissioner of Barak Valley; A Malik IAS, former Election Commissioner, Assam; and Prof Saaduddin Choudhury, former HoD Chemistry, Cotton College, Guwahati. All the speakers were in agreement on one point that we are fortunate to be citizens of a country like India that has a vibrant and democratic Constitution and the yo9ung generation must work hard to fulfil the objectives of the Constitution.
Hafiz Rashid Ahmed Choudhury, eminent lawyer of Assam, on behalf of MWS, handed over the prestigious Shahidul Alam Chouhury Memorail Award to Abid Raja Majumdar, eminent writer, researcher and educationist of the Barak Valley. Majumdar has authored several books based on his research in the colloquial language used in the southern districts of Assam. The Award is given in memory of late Shahidul Alam Choudhury, former Minister of Municipal Administration & Rural Development, Govt of Assam. The award consists of a citation andf Rs 25,000 in cash.
Prizes were handed over to the winners of art, extempore speech, quirat, and quiz competitions that were conducted for students during the daylong event.
A new executive committee with MHA Choudhury as President and AW Chowdhury as General Secretary was elected in the meeting.