Gunabhiram Barua

Gunabhiram Barua (Assamese: গুণাভিৰাম বৰুৱা; 1837-1894) was a nineteenth century Assamese intellectual who ushered in new ideas of social reform in the early years of colonial rule in Assam.^[1] He was deeply influenced by the progressive intellectual currents of the Bengal Renaissance. He was among the few Assamese publicits who had formally entered the Brahmo Samaj. All his life propagated its liberal ideas through his writings.

Biography

Barua completed his college education from Presidency College, Calcutta and became an assistant commissioner under the colonial government. He remained in the job for next 30 years.^[2]

After his first wife's death, his marriage with a Brahman widow, Bishnupriya Devi in 1870 created a sensation in the orthodox society of Assam. Bishnupriya and their daughter Swarnalata Barua^[3] were encouraged by him to write and publish their work in magazines and newspapers.^[2]

Barua advocated the cause of women's education and took the bold step of sending his daughter Swarnalata Devi to a boarding school in Calcutta when he was working in the small town of Nagaon in Assam as an Extra Assistant Commissioner.^[2]

His son Jnanadabhiram Barua went on to become a well known lawyer and leader of Indian National Congress. Gunabhiram wrote a number of tracks for children, published under the heading Lara Bandhu (Friend of Boys) in Arunodoi, the first Assamese news paper, published by American Missionaries. Lara Bondhu was also named as the first children's magazine in Assamese literature.^[4]

Gunabhiram Barua was a cousin of Anandaram Dhekial Phukan. In fact, Gunabhiram grew up under Anandaram's tutelage as his parents died when he was a child.^[1]

Literary works

The first social drama in Assamese - Ramnabami-Natak - was written by Gunabhiram in 1857 and published as a book in 1870.^[5] The play tells the tragic story of a young widow Nabami and her lover Ram, both of whom were compelled to commit suicide because of social disapproval of their relationship.^[6][7]

Gunabhiram is also remembered as a historian and a biographer. In 1887 he published an 'Assam Buranji' which went on to become a school textbook. He also wrote regularly on issues such as women's education and marriage reforms. ^[2] 'Kathin Shobdor Rohasyha Bakhya'Italic text' is a humorous work by Barua, published posthumously in 1912. .^[8]

Gunabhiram Barua published and edited the short lived but hugely influential literary journal 'Assam-Bandhu'(1885-1886) .^[9] Famous conservative intellectuals such as Ratneshwar Mahanta, Rudraram Doloi etc also contributed to its pages. ^[6]

Trivia

Hindi film actor Sharmila Tagore is the granddaughter of Gunabhiram's son Jnanadabhiram, from her maternal side.

See also

• History of Assamese literature
• List of Asam Sahitya Sabha presidents
• List of Assamese-language poets
• List of Assamese writers with their pen names

References