Prantik

Prantik (Assamese: প্ৰান্তিক) is a multi-topic Assamese magazine published fortnightly from Guwahati since 1981. It plays a vital role in the socio-political lives of the people of Assam. The founder chief editor of the magazine was Dr. Bhabendranath Saikia.^[1] The founder editor was Pradip Baruah, who is also its present editor after more than three decades.

References

The magazine was launched in December 1981 when the anti-alien Assam agitation was at its peak. Renowned litterateur, playwright and filmmaker Late Dr Bhabendranath Saikia was its founder chief editor, and its publisher Pradip Baruah was also its editor.

When it started with a comprehensive approach covering almost all aspects of the State’s society, it was accepted as a trendsetter by the readers. Though started with the established writers, in course of time, it created a new set of writers signalling the advent of another new era in the Assamese world of literature and journalism. Many of today’s established novelists, short story writers and journalists like Phanindra Kumar Deva Choudhury, Santosh Kumar Karmakar, Arnab Jan Deka, Mousumi Kandali, Monikuntala Bhattacharya and Late Parag Das had started with Prantik.

However, it was the hard labour of Dr Bhabendra Nath Saikia (between November 16, 1981 and 1997) and Pradeep Baruah, which should be accredited with this success attained in creating a new set of writers and journalists.

Late Dr. Bhabendranath Saikia as the chief editor and Pradip Baruah as editor of the magazine played significant major roles in giving the magazine a unique style.

It's popular columns like Potralap, Seshpristha, Doinandin, Sampadakia(editorial), Galpa(story), Dharabahik Upanyas (serialized novel), Krirangan, Prakriti, Bhraman, Ranjan and others are equally loved by the people of Assam and they have immensely influenced in collective decision-making of the Assamese community living across Assam and the world.

One significant aspect of the magazine is that it allows itself to be guided by its readers also. Apart from the established writers, there are innumerable people who are regularly sending their writings to the magazine with the intense desire that the magazine continue to grow in its vigour and stature, said Pradip Baruah the publisher and editor of the magazine.

Though most of the writers are/were young, Baruah said that there were some who had sent their first writings to the magazine even after their becoming octogenarians.

Today, the magazine with varieties of sections like the ones on general knowledge and science, agriculture, industry, health and environment, politics, economics, travelogues, films, drama and art and culture etc. has become a household name.