Annual Report GS, OBA 2019

Good morning everybody. Honourable President of OBASSG and of today’s meeting, Anowar Hussain Saikia; Capt (IN) A Muthuraman, Principal Sanik School Goalpara and the Chief Guest of today’s meeting; other dignitaries on the dais; esteemed life members; respected members and guests. I extend a very warm welcome to you all to the 21st AGM of OBASSG. I hope that all of you will have a very fulfilling day.

I begin by first recording my sincere thanks and gratitude to the august House that had assembled in this hall exactly a year back to the day and had shown faith in my abilities by electing me the General Secretary of OBASSG. I hope my report will justify the faith reposed. Since taking over charge in the joint meeting of the outgoing and new executive committees on 6 December 2018, we have tried to sustain the momentum gained in the last some years. Till date, we have had five formal and recorded meetings of the Executive Committee besides some informal sittings.

On 26 January this year, we celebrated the 70th Republic Day by organizing our signature Jagaran Car and Bike Rally. The Rally was flagged off by our President from the Baptist Church at Six Mile. A number of cars and two-wheelers, with tricolours fluttering on them, wound their way through the GS Road, the High Court, TC Girls’ School Rotary, RG Baruah Road and back to the Church. The group broke up after a working lunch at the venue. I express my sincere thanks to Eastern Riders, a bikers’ group for participating with gusto and for inflating our numbers.

The first EC meeting held after the Rally took the important decision of co-opting the following members to the EC:

A team from OBASSG comprising the GS, Masidur Islam/1439, Diju Bharali/2454 and Bhrigu Roy/5337 visited SSG on 9 February 2019. On behalf of the OBASSG, the team led by Abhigyan Prasad as Quizmaster conducted the PCRA Quiz competition. Then the team interacted with the cadets of Classes X, XI and XII and wished best of luck for the ensuing board exams. After lunch, the team departed back for Guwahati.

As part of pre-Rongali Bihu celebrations, a team from OBASSG visited Mothers’ Old Age Home at Hatigaon on 6 April 2019. The members spent some time with the inmates, interacted with them and partook of pitha, laadu, samosa etc which were sponsored by some of our members. An amount of Rs 6000 (Six Thousand only), collected from sale of paintings of Gp Cpt D Gohain (Retd.), was also donated to the authorities by the OBASSG. All the members were very happy and satisfied to be part of the visit. The OBASSG team comprised of: Gp Cpt D Gohain (Retd.), A H Saikia, Girija Kanta Barman, Masidur Islam, Abhigyan Prasad, Dipak Tumung, Pranjal Baruah, Diju Bharali, Manash Gogoi, Ranjan K Baruah, Mani S Singh, Dr. Jyotirmoy Sarmah, Manish Das and Sourav Senapati.

The tenth edition of the annual Manash Borah Memorial Inter Institutional Debating Competition was organized successfully on 31 May 2019 at Pragjyoti ITA, Machkhowa. The topic of the competition was: In the Opinion of the House “Political patronage is mainly responsible for the decline in reliability of mass media in India”. Inaugurated by Shri Ranjit Shekhar Mooshahary, former Governor of Meghalaya and former Director General of BSF and NSG, the competition was judged by Partha Pratim Hazarika, Assistant Editor, The Assam Tribune, Dr. Sangeeta Rani Kalita, Assistant Professor, BRM Govt Law College, and Hiranku Hazarika, Research Scholar, Tezpur University. The honourable Speaker was Prof. Gayatree Goswamee of Gauhati University. Nearly 20 teams from various corners of the state participated in the competition. A commemorative volume marking the tenth edition of the competition was also released on the occasion. The competition was also graced by the presence of Capt (IN) Edwin Jothirajan, Principal, SSG. The following participants won prizes in different categories:

I take this opportunity to extend our sincere thanks to Dr. (Mrs.) Shahnaaz Rahman for sponsoring the entire competition.

An amount of Rs. 32,500, collected as relief to SSG because of storm, was deposited into OBASSG account from 98 pass out batch. The same was handed over to the Principal on 31 May on the sidelines of the debating competition. I record my sincere appreciation for the 98 pass outs. I also appeal to other batches to kindly involve the Association in such activities in the future.

On 23 July, a team of OBASSG left Guwahati with relief materials to organize camps at Dolgoma. Joined by other members on the way, OBASSG organized the first camp at Dolgoma Girls’ High School. The team was also joined by Officiating Principal, Vice-Principal, teachers, and cadets from School. The camp was inaugurated by Lt. Col. Vishal Sharma, officiating Principal In the presence of Vice-Principal Lt. Col. Anil Jasrotia, OBASSG members, staff and cadets of SSG and the general public. The team later moved on to Dolgoma HS School. Altogether, more than 250 families were provided relief packets comprising rice, dal, chira, potato, biscuits, Maggi, soya chunks and water bottle of two litres. The team went to SSG Mess for a quick lunch and departed for Goalpara town. There, relief materials for nearly hundred and fifty families were given to inmates at Jayatun Nessa Relief Camp. Our team also had a very brief interaction with the honourable CM of Assam, who happened to be visiting at that time.The OBASSG team comprised of the following members: Timirendra Das; Ratul Ch. Borah; Girija Barman; Utpal Bayan; Hiten Das; Babul Kalita; Atin Khakhlary; Abhigyan Prasad; Khaibar Ali; Diju Bharali; Amitabh Basumatary; Ramen Das; Rajiv Sarma; Ranjan K Baruah; Mubarak Ali; Pongkhi Kalita Aich; Panchal Baruah; Ashitangshu Nath; Mohd. Ali; and Raja Sarma. I must say that our members responded very positively and promptly to the appeal for relief. OBASSG’s engagement is such activities gives us all a different feeling and lends a new dimension to our Association. I wholeheartedly thank our members, and well-wishers, who contributed generously and supported the noble initiative. I also record our gratitude to the authorities at Matia Police Station and the representatives and volunteers in Dolgoma.

A farewell dinner for the outgoing Principal Capt (IN) Edwin Jothirajan was organized at Hotel Contemporary Dining on 27 July 2019. Capt (IN) Edwin was present with his better half Madam Reena and their lovely daughter. While Madam Reena was felicitated with a traditional shawl, Capt (IN) Edwin was presented with a gamosa, a memento and a traditional Karbi jacket. The outgoing Principal interacted with the members present and spoke at length about his tenure at school, the goals he had and the measures adopted towards the fulfillment of those. He also spoke about his engagement with the OBA and offered a couple of suggestions. Everybody partook of the snacks as well as the dinner. The following members were present on the occasion: Anowar H Saikia; Sachindra Das; Col. Roma K Barman and his spouse; Diganta Gogoi; Girija Barman; Masidur Islam; Runjun Gogoi; Utpal Parashar; Abhigyan Prasad; Dipak Tumung; Diju Bharali; Manash Gogoi; Ranjan K Baruah; Panchal Baruah; Dr. Jyotirmoy Sarmah; and Manish Das.

OBASSG organized its signature Blood Donation Camp at Dr. B. Borooah Cancer Institute to mark our Independence Day. Accordingly the camp was inaugurated on 15 August 2019 by Dr. A. C. Kataky, Director of Dr. B. Borooah Cancer Institute. Thirty four units of blood were donated in this camp. Besides our own members, other well-wishers and staff from Dr. B. Borooah Cancer Institute also participated in the camp. I thank everybody who donated and also all those who cheered up the donors with their precious presence.

OBA participated with gusto and numbers in the 56th School Raising Day cum Old Boys’ Meet held at SSG on 12 November 2019. The occasion was graced as the Chief Guest by one of brothers Lt Gen Rana Pratap Kalita. Nearly ninety members participated on the occasion, some with family members. OBA distributed the annual trophies and cash awards to the meritorious students. After lunch in the Mess, OBA team played a friendly football match with the school team. The school team was trounced by a big margin.

Life Members of our Association, literally speaking, are the life of OBASSG. There are constitutional provisions for them and we are working very hard to get them some benefits in return. Hopefully, we can have in place a couple of MoUs by the time of the next AGM. I am very happy and proud to inform you that a total of eleven new Life Members have been added in this year, raising the total number of Life Members to 126. We hope it will multiple by leaps and bound in the coming years.

It is very heartening to see that our members are coming together to form Chapters and Units all over India. This year, the South Assam Unit was formed at Silchar on 31 August 2019. The Goalpara Unit was formed at Goalpara on 28 September 2019. Besides, reunions were held at Tinsukia and Dibrugarh. On 17 November 2019, a large number of our ex SSGians gathered at the Rashtriya Rifles Mess in New Delhi for the Annual Get Together. All these meetings/reunions have been very well attended. Besides, batches have been holding their reunions from time to time. Connectivity and Bonding are the KEY to our success. I hope that in the coming years we become more connected and more organic.

We are trying to make our website more interactive, and as part of the same, online registration process has been initiated from this year. After the AGM, the link will remain activated throughout the year to facilitate the payment of Annual/Renewal Fees for the members. I request all of you present to kindly patronize the same and give it wide publicity.

The Association is also trying to get registration under 12 A (A) of the Income Tax Department, and the Constitution has been suitably amended for this purpose. We hope to get it in the next year.

The object of our long cherished dream, a plot of land at a suitable location in Guwahati, has not yet materialized. We are hard at it, but it’s taking time, mainly because of red tapism at various levels. God willing, we should be able to realise our long cherished and shared dream in a couple of years.

Exactly a year to this date, the present EC was elected by this august House. The past year has been exciting and full of challenges. Among the many images that would remain forever with me, two are: the expectant faces of old ladies, aaitas, at Mothers’ Old Age Home, and the faces of so many flood ravaged men, women and children at Dolgoma which lit up when we went with relief materials. We need to engage more and more in socially relevant activities.

In the last year I have been guided and helped by many of our members, from within and outside, the EC. I wish to record my sincere gratitude and appreciation for all those esteemed members for the smooth conduct of events and programmes. I express gratitude to our Honourable President, Anowar Hussain Saikia, for his guidance. My special thanks are due to Girija Kanta Barman for constant support and for everything. I also thank Sachindra Das for displaying loads of patience as regards the process of registration under section 12 A (A) of Income Tax Department. I also deeply thank the office bearers and members of our EC who were always available with suggestions and assistance. Whatever we have achieved is team work. The shortcomings, if any, are entirely mine. We also express our sincere gratitude and appreciation of our valued sponsors.

Dear friends and brothers, last year has been a learning experience for me. I have realised that while physical presence is very encouraging, moral support from a distance is equally important. I believe that while mistakes and shortcomings should be pointed out, good, honest and sincere work should be warmly appreciated. Essentially, we need to be in touch, in active communication. It has become more imperative now because in four years’ time we would be celebrating the Diamond Jubilee of our alma Mater. Therefore, I exhort all of you to deepen the bond, to bring more and more members on board, to offer constructive criticism, and to stay connected. I believe that we can occupy a definite social space and we should strive towards realising the same.

Cheers to the spirit; long live SSG; long live OBASSG.