About the Department
In the post-independence period, various efforts were undertaken by the Indian thinkers as well as intellectuals to enhance the consciousness of integrity among the Indian people. The Sahitya Akademi had published a series of regional literature under the title – Indian Literature. The All India Radio had also broadcasted a programme as Indian Literature under which the literatures created in various regional languages were incorporated. By this time, the universities and the academicians of the country also were involved in this process and tried to establish the concept of Indian literature. Under the leadership of Sir Ashutosh Mukherjee, the then Hon’ble Vice Chancellor of Calcutta University, the Department of Modern Indian Languages was established for the first time among the Universities of India to build a bridge among the Indian Languages. Afterwards all the leading Universities of India also started the Department of Modern Indian Languages.
The Department of Modern Indian Languages of Gauhati University was established in the year 1967 as a research department to promote this idea. The Department was shaped by Prof Satyendranath Sarma, the Tagore Professor of this department, an outstanding scholar in the field of literature, indology, culture and civilization of Assam. After a decade of existence, the department had horizontally expanded introducing several diploma courses. The M. Phil course in Assamese was also introduced in 1983-84. Later on, the importance of literary studies along with the languages is gradually realized by the scholars of Indian literature, and the department also felt the necessity of expanding its vision towards the literary field.
Keeping in mind the growing importance of the study of Comparative Indian Literature, the department introduced the M. Phil programme on this subject in 2008. Again, to make this mission more effective, the department has taken a bold step to introduce the full-fledged master degree course in Comparative Indian Literature from the year 2015 along with the existing Ph.D research programme and other one year P.G. diploma courses in Assamese, Nepali, Odia, and Tamil. From the year 2020, the department has also been offering PG diploma in Mising and Rabha.
Publications
Books
2023
- B. Vijayakumar, Tirukkural' in Assamese language, Published by CICT, Chennai, ISBN 978-81-19249-32-9
- Dhurjjati Sarma, Editor of the transcript: An e-Journal of Literary and Cultural Studies, Vol. 3 1, published by the Department of English, Bodoland University, India, e-ISSN (Online): 2582-9858, https://thetranscript.in/.
2022
- Dilip Borah & B. Vijayakumar, Nationalism and Literature, Published by Dept of MIL&LS, GU. ISBN-978-93-92699-66-5
2021
- B. Vijayakumar & Sristi Shawanam, Sangam Tamil Poems in Assamese, Published by Dept of MIL&LS, GU., ISBN 978-9390909-77-2
- Dhurjjati Sarma, Assistant Editor of the Delhi Journal of Comparative Studies, Volume 01, Issue 01, published by Delhi Comparatists (DC), https://delhicomparatists.org/.
2020
- B. Vijayakumar, Edited book, Tamil Basha aaru Shakiya Parishai, Collection of Chapters about Tamil language and literature in Assamese,Published by Dept of MIL&LS, GU, ISBN-978-93-5407-600-8
- Dhurjjati Sarma, The IACLALS Journal, Volume 6, on “Reimagi(ni)ng Identities in the Global South: Challenges, Transgressions and Articulations”, jointly edited by Albeena Shakil, Amitendu Bhattacharya, and Dhurjjati Sarma (2020), ISSN: 2395-1206.
- B. Vijayakumar & Anamika Rajbongshi, Nirvasitha Tamil Chutihalpa Hungra, Translation of Selected Tamil Short Stories into Assamese language, Published by Dept of MIL&LS, GU., ISBN-978-93-89940-40-4
2019
- B. Vijayakumar & Anamika Rajbongshi, KarBebe ei krondon’, Translation of Tamil Novelette, ‘Yarukkaka Aluthan’ into Assamese language, Published by Dept of MIL&LS, GU, ISBN-978-93-88593-76-2
- Dhurjjati Sarma, Narrative Cultures and Textual Traditions of North-East India (A Collection of Essays in Honour of Prof. Kailash. C. Baral), jointly edited by Arzuman Ara, Dhurjjati Sarma, and Bhaskar Jyoti Gogoi, was published by Purbayon Publishers in association with North East India Association for Human Sciences (NEIAHS), ISBN 978-93-88593-31-1.
- Dhurjjati Sarma, Reimagining Life in/through Literature: Essays and Reviews on Arun Sarma’s Works, jointly edited by Namrata Pathak and Dhurjjati Sarma, was published by Asomiya Sahitya Sanmilani , ISBN 978-81-930616-7-1.
2018
- B. Vijayakumar, Recall Vocabulary (Tamil-English-Assamese), Published by Dept of MIL&LS, GU, ISBN 978-93-88593-75-5
2017
- Dilip Borah & Anup Kumar Deka, Lakshminath Bezbaroa: Perspectives on His Life and Work (2017)
- Anuradha Sarma, Manavatar Sapakshe-Sankirnatar BipaksheEmuthi Asomiya Galpa, published by Asomiya Sahitya Sanmilani
- B. Vijayakumar, A Dictionary of Tamil-English-Assamese, Published by Dept of MIL&LS, GU., ISBN 978-81-92955-80-3
- Swarna Smriti: A Souvenir published by the Department on the Occasion of Its Golden Jubilee Concluding Ceremony
- B. Vijayakumar, Tamil Script, Published by Dept of MIL&LS, GU, ISBN 978-81-92955-81-0
2016
- Anuradha Sarma, Banikanta Kakati, Makers of Indian Literature, published by Sahitya Akademi
- Anuradha Sarma, Samaj Aru Bhasa: Samajbhasabijña Parichay, published by Bandhav
- Anuradha Sarma, Saraswata Sadhak Adhyapak Satyendranath Sarma: A Collection of Articles on Life & Contribution of Professor Satyendranath Sarma, published bythe Depat. of MIL&LS, GU.
- B. Vijayakumar, Tamil Script Practice, Published by Dept of MIL&LS, GU, ISBN-978-81-92955-82-7
- Saraswat Sadhak Adhyapak Satyendranath Sarma
2015
- Anweshan: A Book of Articles on Comparative Literature
- Anuradha Sarma, Saili aru SailibijñÄn’ published by Bandhab (Third Edition)
(Since 2015)
Journals
1. Prantaswar: A Bilingual Journal (Assamese & Hindi) Published by the Department of MIL & LS, GU.
