STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: Today, the State lost a gem of Assamese literature — Dr. Lakshmi Nandan Bora. He was suffering from COVID-19 infection and passed away at a private hospital.
Dr Bora was born on 15 June 1932 at Hatichung of Kudijah village, a small hamlet in Nagaon district to Phuleswar Bora and Phuleswari as the youngest of their five children. His parents died while he was in his teens and was brought up by his eldest brother, Kamal Chandra Bora. He did his schooling at Nagaon High School, graduated in Physics (BSc) from Cotton College State University, Guwahati and secured his master's degree (MSc) from Presidency College, Kolkata. He pursued doctoral studies in meteorology at Andhra University from where he secured a PhD, the first person to be awarded a doctoral degree in meteorology by the university. For most of his career, he worked at Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat as a faculty member and stayed with the institution till his retirement as a professor and the head of the department of physics and agrometeorology in 1992.
He wrote his first short story, Bhaona, in 1954, which was published in Assamese magazine, Ramdhenu. His first book, Dristirupa was published in 1958 and the next one, Nishar Purabhi in 1962. He published his first novel, Gonga Silonir Pakhi, in 1963, which is reported to have earned critical acclaim, has been translated into 11 languages and was made into a film, under the same name, by Padum Baruah in 1976.
Dr. Bora received the Sahitya Academy Award in 1988 for his novel, Patal Bhairavi and the Assam Valley Literary Award in 2004. His novel, Kayakalpa fetched him the Saraswati Samman instituted by the K. K. Birla Foundation in 2008. In 2012, Assam Publication Board honoured him with the Lifetime Achievement Award. The Government of India included him for the Republic Day honours list, in 2015, for the civilian honour of Padma Shri.
His mortal remains were brought to his residence in Ganeshguri following which it was taken to AXX Bhawan at Ambari. Later, it was taken to Goriyoshi Office with which he associated till the time of his death.