It was a proud moment for the surgeons of Assam that they got an opportunity to host, the 38th Annual conference of the Association of surgeons of India (ASICON), way back in 1978 in Guwahati, even without

having had a professional body of the surgical fraternity of Assam at that particular time. This status continued until the year 1989, when Late Prof. Guru Prasad Sarma, after his retirement and Prof. Gyan Chand Jain, of in the Gauhati Medical College, who was also the Joint organizing secretary of the ASICON’78 in Guwahati, took upon themselves, the enormous challenge of motivating the support of the surgical fraternity across the state for the creation of a professional platform for them.

Their sustained efforts resulted in the formation of the Association of Surgeons of Assam (ASA) during later part of the same year and it was registered as a society in 1990. Late Prof. Guru Prasad Sarma and Prof. Gyan Chand Jain respectively, were installed as the President and Secretary of the Association. These two stalwarts along with Dr. J.Gohain, Late Dr. R.D Bujarbaruah, Dr.D.P Goswami, Dr.S.C.Dutta and Dr. R. Swargiary had nurtured the Association through its infancy to childhood and within a few years after its formation; they got the association affiliated to the Association of Surgeons of India (ASI) as its Assam State Chapter. To commemorate his contribution to the cause of the ASA by Prof. Guru Prasad Sarma, who held the position of President for three consecutive years (1990, 91, 92), an oration in his name has been made a permanent feature in every annual conference. The same is delivered by the incumbent ASA President. The leadership changed in 1992, which was then taken over by Dr. S.C Dutta due to the sudden demise of Dr. G.P Sharma.

Since its inception, the ASA has been publishing regularly, a quarterly academic journal- the JASA (The Journal of the Association of Surgeons of Assam). Prof. H.K Borah, Past President, ASA (2009) was its founder editor and Dr. Manoj Saha is the present Editor since January 2019. The present number of full members of the ASA is about 463, however only about half of them are also full members of the ASI. The chapter has eight branches- namely Guwahati City, Dibrugarh, Barak Valley, Nagaon, Tezpur and newly from Tinsukia Undivided Sibsagar district and Bongaigaon.

Beginning with its first annual conference in 1990, the ASA has been holding its Annual state conference “ASACON” during the last part of the month of October of every year, at different places of the state by rotation.

On two occasions, the surgical fraternity of the two neighboring North Eastern states came forward to host the ASACON. Thus, the ASACON (1997) was held at Itanagar, the capital of Arunachal Pradesh and the ASACON (2007) in Shillong, the capital of Meghalaya. One full day of the conference is dedicated to Continuing Medical Education programme. Dr. J. Mahanta, ASICON’78 oration, in fond memory of late Dr. J. Mahanta and ASICON held at Guwahati in 1978 is organized every year during the conference. The President of the parent national body ASI is usually invited as the Orator who delivers it in respect of this doyen of surgery from North east. Padmashree Late Dr. N. Zaman oration is held on every alternate year in memory of another worthy son of Assam. Surgi-Quiz and competition papers are arranged to encourage wide participation of post graduate students and young surgeons.

Apart from the pre conference live surgical workshop, CME programme, Guest lectures, Orations and free paper presentations, in the later years Video-Sessions and poster presentations have also been added to the scientific programme to attract participation of young surgeons.

The first Seat in Governing Council of Assam chapter was allotted in the year 2004. where Dr. G.C.Jain was elected for three years and after that Dr. Subhash Khanna is gracing the post since 2007 consecutively for the second term. Dr. Sarbeswar Bora from Nagaon was elected as President of Association of Rural Surgeons of India in the year 2006. He had very successfully organized the Annual Conference of Association of Rural surgeons of India at Nagaon in 2001. Presently Dr. Manoj Kumar Choudhury is the Executive Council Member since 2019.

It is worth mentioning that the Assam state chapter has won prestigious ASI best chapter award three times in recognition of its academic and social activities.