Former Acting President of Asom Sahitya Sabha Biswa Baruah Passes Away at 96

: Former acting president of the Asom Sahitya Sabha (ASS), Biswa Baruah, passed away at a private hospital on Wednesday after a prolonged illness. He was 96. Born in 1930 at Sonarigaon, Garehaga, on the outskirts of North Lakhimpur, Baruah was a respected academic, writer and literary organiser whose contributions left a lasting imprint on Assam’s literary and cultural landscape, particularly in Lakhimpur district . Baruah cleared his matriculation examination in 1952 and went on to pursue higher education while beginning his professional career as a teacher. After earning the Prathama qualification in Hindi, he joined Azad Middle English School as a Hindi teacher. He completed his BA in 1962 and subsequently worked as an assistant teacher at Dibrugarh Public School. He later obtained postgraduate qualifications in Hindi from Hindi Shikshan Parangat, Agra, and in Assamese from Gauhati University . In 1965, he joined Madhavdev College, now known as Madhavdev University, as a lecturer in the Assamese Department. He continued serving the institution until his retirement in 1994. His association with the Asom Sahitya Sabha began in the 1960s. He initially served as the founding secretary of the Sabha’s Narayanpur branch before taking over as president of the Lakhimpur District Sahitya Sabha. At the 1994 session of the Asom Sahitya Sabha held in Morigaon, Baruah was elected vice-president. Following the death of the then president, Dr Leela Gogoi, later that year, he took over as the organisation’s acting president. Baruah played an important role in strengthening the Sabha’s organisational presence across Assam. From 1995 onwards, he initiated efforts to establish more branches in tea estate areas, with the objective of making the organisation more inclusive and encouraging members of the tea community to participate in literary and cultural activities. His contributions to Assamese literature and cultural research were equally significant. He authored four books documenting Khamti culture, along with a work on Buddhist literature and a collection of religious essays titled Bibidha. Among his notable publications was Purani Asomiya Sahityat Drishtipat, which remains an important part of his literary contributions. A prominent advocate of the Rashtrabhasha movement in Assam, Baruah received the ‘Rashtrabhasha Gaurav Award’ from the Assam Rashtrabhasha Prachar Samiti. In recognition of his literary contributions, he was also granted a literary pension in 1994. Beyond his literary and academic pursuits, Baruah remained associated with several educational institutions across the erstwhile undivided Lakhimpur district . He was also a prominent presence in the region’s intellectual, cultural and social circles. He is survived by two sons. His last rites were performed at the Naharpukhuri Crematorium in North Lakhimpur on Wednesday evening. His death has been mourned by members of the literary community, academics and people from different walks of life across Lakhimpur district .