'Barua responsible for modernist trend in Assamese poetry'

Noted writer Nagen Saikia has described Sahitya Akademi award-winning poet Ajit Barua as an "iconic figure" who pioneered the modernist trend in Assamese poetry.
Delivering the second Ajit Barua Memorial lecture in Dibrugarh University yesterday, Saikia, a former professor at the university, said Barua was equally at home with western and Indian schools of thoughts.
"We should evaluate our literature with Indian aestheticism and various Indian literary theories. Ajit Barua is the sole literary giant in Assam who was at home with both western and Indian schools of thoughts", Saikia said.
"We have a general tendency to evaluate our literature in the light of western doctrine. But it is a wrong notion to analyse or evaluate our literature only with the western school of thought and western literary theories."

Stating that the poet successfully wove logic and emotion in his poetry.
"It was because of his unique sensibility that Ajit Barua was capable of weaving romantic sensibility with the classic that created wonders in his poetry."
The lecture was organised in collaboration with Ajit Barua Anuragi Samaj (ABAS), Guwahati and Dr Bhupen Hazarika Centre for Studies in Performing Arts of Dibrugarh University.