Unearthing the Roots of Folk Culture, a Balurghat Professor Earns National Recognition

Senior Correspondent.TOD.Balurghat 

In a proud moment for South Dinajpur's literary and cultural community, Dr. Samit Kumar Saha, a Bengali professor at Balurghat College, has received a prestigious Folk Culture Research Award in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the study and preservation of traditional heritage.Dr. Saha was the only recipient from West Bengal among those selected for the honour. The award recognises his extensive research into various dimensions of folk culture, its historical evolution, emerging areas of academic inquiry and traditional literary heritage, including ancient manuscripts.

The award ceremony was organised in September in Udaipur, Tripura, by the Govindamanikya Sahitya Sanskriti Kendra. However, owing to personal commitments, Dr. Saha was unable to attend the event. The award and citation were finally handed over to him on Wednesday at a special felicitation ceremony held at his residence in Balurghat.The selection reflects the award's wider cultural and geographical reach. Alongside Dr. Saha from West Bengal, a literary figure from Assam and a representative from Bangladesh were also chosen for the recognition.

His research has focused on exploring the roots of folk traditions, documenting cultural practices at risk of disappearing and bringing lesser-known aspects of Bengal's heritage into the wider academic and public domain.Folk culture, often preserved through oral traditions, manuscripts, rituals, songs and community practices, represents an important part of a region's collective memory. Researchers such as Dr. Saha play a significant role in ensuring that these traditions are documented, studied and passed on to future generations.

His achievement has been widely welcomed by the literary and cultural circles of South Dinajpur. For Balurghat, the recognition is not merely a personal academic milestone but also an acknowledgment of the district's contribution to the preservation and study of India's diverse cultural heritage.The honour from Tripura has placed a local scholar on a wider cultural platform, reinforcing the importance of research in keeping traditional knowledge alive in a rapidly changing world.