Bhabananda Deka

Bhabananda Deka
Born	(1929-08-19)19 August 1929 Assam, India
Died	4 December 2006(2006-12-04)
Occupation	Economist, author, educationist, litterateur, heritage scholar
Years active	1943–2006
Spouse	Nalini Prava Deka
Children	Ankur Deka, Arnab Jan Deka, Jim Ankan Deka

Prof Bhabananda Deka (Assamese:ভৱানন্দ ডেকা) (1929–2006), was the author of one hundred fifteen books, textbooks on Economics, Ancient Assamese Literature, Civics and Political Science, and a variety of research papers and articles from Assam, a state in the north-eastern part of India.^[1] He pioneered the writing of books on Economics in Assamese.^[2] His Assamese book Axomor Arthaneeti was the first ever research-based comprehensive book on Assam Economics, which was published for the first time in 1963. He has been acknowledged as the Pioneer Assam Economist and Author, who conducted path-breaking research for the very first time on the economy of the far eastern part of India.^[3] Until his book on Assam Economics was published 1963, there was little material available on the subject matter.^[4]

Biography

Early Life and education

Prof Bhabananda Deka was born to Late Baliram Pathak and Late Sayatri Bala Pathak at Byaskuchi Satra, Barpeta sub division of undivided Kamrup district, Assam. He completed his graduation in Economics in 1954 and gained a postgraduate qualification in Economics from Gauhati University in 1957. After his graduation, he went to his hometown and worked for Bhattadeb Milan Samiti as a secretary and was instrumental behind the building of the first Library (Bhattadev Puthivoral) at Byaskuchi Satra.

Career

On 1 September 1958 Prof. Bhabananda Deka joined Pragjyotish College in the Economics Department as the Professor and Head. He retired as Principal of Pragjyotish College in 1992. He was the Founder Principal of Bapujee College in Sarthebari.^[5] While he was working for Pragjyotish College, he took leave for a year and worked as a Senior Research Officer in the Language Unit of Union Public Service Commission, Delhi. He also worked as Principal of 4 (four) other Graduate and Postgraduate Colleges in Assam. These Colleges were: Tamulichiga GKB College, Jorhat; Hajo BEd College, Dadara; Sarukehtri College, Borkapla and Guwahati Night College, Guwahati, Assam.^[3]

He was one of the first Assamese to form Asomiya Sahitya Samaj in New Delhi along with Parikshit Hazarika and Upendra Nath Goswami in 1968. They were subservient in the introduction of Assamese Language in MIL Department of Delhi University. He also established Assamese Department and Bengali Department in the Indian Constitutional body Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) in New Delhi, and introduced Assamese Language as a subject and medium for appearing in all-India level Competitive Examinations conducted by UPSC to select top bureaucrats of India Government. He also organised the Birth Centenary of the doyen of Assamese literature Lakshminath Bezbaroa in New Delhi at all India level with the cooperation of two erstwhile Presidents and two Prime Ministers of India including Dr Zakir Hussain, Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed, Indira Gandhi and Morarji Desai in 1968. His English book on 'Assamese Language & Literature' published during that Centenary celebration was formally released on 24 November 1968 by then President of India Dr Zakir Hussain in New Delhi. The only surviving copy of this book was recovered by popular story-writer, novelist and river engineer Arnab Jan Deka after death of Deka, and a re-edited, enlarged 2nd Edition of the book was published by him on 4 December 2014, and was officially relaunched by London-based Chief Editor of research journal 'Luit to Thames'.^[3]

He was highly influenced by Sankari Culture and folk culture heritage & was known for his active participation in setting up Belbari Satra (Vaisnavite Monastery) in Barpeta District. He has written many articles and books on Mahapurusha Srimanta Sankardeva and Sankari Culture. He translated the Kirtan Ghosa^[6] (Poetic works of Srimanta Sankardeva) from Assamese to English.^[3]

Deka was a member of Asom Sahitya Sabha and was made the last President of the undivided Kamrup District Sahitya Sabha in 1982. He was the founder of Assam Economic Association, Assam Foundation-India and Srimanta Sankardev International Foundation, and an advocate for the rich literary and cultural heritage of Assam all over the world.^[4]

Editor of journals and magazines

Deka was the editor of various journals and magazines including Ami (1948), Udaygiri, Rastrajyoti and Gobinda.

Death

He died on 4 December 2006 at his residence in Pub Sarania, Guwahati. Assam Legislative Assembly officially mourned his death in a special Winter Session in presence of 126 Members(MLAs) and Chief Minister with his all Cabinet Colleagues, wherein the Speaker of the Assembly presiding over the Session formally read a Resolution recognising his role in propagating Assamese language and literature outside the state of Assam at all-India and international level. The Chief Minister of Assam Tarun Gogoi also officially condoled the death of Principal Bhabananda Deka through a Press Statement, which was published in majority of dailies published from North East India on 5 Dec 2006. Other social organisations and individuals of prominence including Assam Sahitya Sabha (Assam Literary Conference) under Presidentship of Kanaksen Deka(Editor, Daily Agradoot), Media Trust, Assam and the International Prince Klaus Literary Award(Netherlands) winner novelist Dr Mamoni Raisom Goswami @ Dr Indira Goswami, India's top literary award Saraswati Samman winner novelist Dr Lakshmi Nandan Bora, Cambridge University scholar and literary critic Dr Hiren Gohain, Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore Professor Dr Satyendra Narayan Goswami of Gauhati University, Chief Architect of Florida, USA, Amiya Kumar Das, singer-musician Dr Bhupen Hazarika's co-singer-sister Sudakshina Sarma and others personally visited Principal Deka's residence to condole his death by sharing grief with the bereaved family and pay their obeisance in memory of the departed soul.^{[7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14]}

Honors

Principal Bhabananda Deka was the recipient of the Literary Pension (2004) and Golden Jubilee of Indian Independence Literary Award(15 Aug 1997) offered by the Government of Assam.^[15]

He was publicly bestowed with the honorary title of Asom Ratna -- 'Jewel of Assam' by the leading intellectuals in Assam on the occasion of his 78th birthday celebrations publicly on 19 August 2007, in a programme held in Guwahati city under the presidentship of Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore Professor of Gauhati University Dr Satyendra Narayan Goswami. A prestigious volume of compilations of tributary articles by leading scholars and some interviews of the departed scholar published during his lifetime under the name and style of Asom Ratna Principal Bhabananda Deka edited by leading Assamese poet Prof. Sushil Sarma conferring the said honorary title upon Principal Bhabananda Deka was officially released in the same programme by jointly by several leading scholars including Prof. Upendra Nath Sarma, Abanindra Bora, Er. Arnab Jan Deka, Prof. Biswesear Hazarika joined by the editor Prof. Sarma and president Dr Goswami. Principal Deka was the first scholar to be conferred with this prestigious title by intelligentsia in Assam. Subsequently, Assam Government was inspired by this event to declare establishment of an 'Asom Ratna Award' in 2008 and two other fellow Assamese had been awarded including Dr Bhupen Hazarika in 2008 and Dr Mamoni Raisom Goswami in 2014.

After his demise, Pragjyotish College of Guwahati, Assam, India, has been organising 'Bhabananda Deka Memorial Lecture' in Guwahati every year since his first death anniversary on 4 Dec 2007.^[16][17][18] The most recent 6th edition of this Memorial Lecture series was held on 25 April 2015, wherein the former Principal of ADP College, Nagaon, Dr Ram Chandra Deka spoke about the rich qualities of Principal Bhabananda Deka. Prior to the Lecture programme, floral tributes were paid on the portrait of the departed scholar as a homage to his memory.^[19]

An award winning novel on his life titled 'Bhaba Ananda Sambad'(2007) authored by famous story-writer Arnab Jan Deka was published by the Assam Government through its official literary body Assam Publication Board.^[20][21]

A documentary film with the title 'Golden Jubilee of Assam Economics Research & the Pioneer Assam Economist-Litterateur' highlighting his pioneering role as an Assam Economist and scholar premièred on 4 Dec 2014 in Guwahati City. This film had been directed by documentary filmmaker-actor Arnab Jan Deka.^[3]The screenplay was a collaborative effort by a number of contributers, including Claire Elizabeth Terry from Barcelona, Spain, Tess Joyce from Indonesia and Terri Stiffler from the USA. Tess Joyce also rendered her voice for the background Narration in the film, which was recorded at a Studio in Jakarta, Indonesia.^[4]

Books and articles of Bhabananda Deka

Text Books in English

Other Books in English

Travelogues

Articles in English

Books in Assamese

Books on Bhabananda Deka

A series of books had been published on the life and works of Principal Bhabananda Deka highlighting their intellectual and social significance. Some of these books are--

See also

• Assamese literature
• Mahapurusha Srimanta Sankardeva
• Jyoti Prasad Agarwala
• Laxminath Bezbarua
• Krishna Kanta Handique
• Assam
• Guwahati
• Music of Assam

References

• • http://www.sentinelassam.com/ghy_city/story.php?sec=1&subsec=0&id=211080&dtP=2014-12-04&ppr=1
• http://www.assamtribune.com/scripts/showpage.asp?id=jan2415%2C12%2C87%2C156%2C1326%2C684

External links

• Bhabananda Deka at Amazon.com