He liked cutting his birthday cakes and was always excited to cut the cakes with his whole family members. We were expecting that he could cut this time too after 12 days i.e. November 12. But God had another plan and took him from us early; for us it was unexpected. Veteran politician, two times MLA from Patacharkuchi constituency, freedom fighter, Journalist Bhubaneswar Barman breathed his last at Gauhati Medical College & Hospital (GMCH) on October 31 at 5:25 am. He was 97 at the time of his death. Being the father-in-law of my elder sister, I have come to know him since 1999. In that way, I called him- "Deuta". A person of a soft-spoken but jolly and very proactive, enthusiastic person, he was a role model for the new generation. Though he was in politics he had no controversial issues in his tenure. In Guwahati, he was a resident of Gandhi Basti.
Born in 1923, November 12, he joined Indian Freedom movement of 1942. He got imprisonment several times due to his involvement in various movements. He started his career as a teacher in Chaukhuty L.P. School in 1944 and later he shifted his job as a Hindi teacher in 1953 at PatacharkuchiVidyapith HS School, a reputed educational institution of Assam. He worked there till 1966. Meanwhile, he became the first news reporter from the greater Bajali locality. He was the local news correspondent of newspaper called "NatunAsomiya" from 1953 to 1967.
Later he joined active politics and he was a follower of the socialist movement. "Deuta" was elected as the MLA from Patacharkuchi assembly constituency twice. He was first elected as an MLA in 1967 from "Praja Socialist Party" (PSP) when the capital of Assam was in Shillong. In his first term, he was a colleague of Bishnu Prasad Rava, Bharat Ratna Dr. BhupenHazarika, Bimala Prasad Chaliha, Bishnu Ram Medhi, LakshyadharChaudhury, Pushpalata Das, and many more at Assam Legislative Assembly. He was again elected to Assam Legislative Assembly in 1978 from the "Janata Party" when Late GolapBorborah became Chief Minister of Assam. He was a colleague of GolapBorborah, Sarat Chandra Sinha, HiteswarSaikia, SyedaAnwaraTaimuretc at Assam Legislative Assembly in his second term. In his tenure, Pathsala Town Committee was established. Under his regime, several schools and hospitals were established in the Patacharkuchi constituency.
He was one of the pillars of Cooperative movement in Assam. He was the president of Assam State Co-Operative Union and he also served as an Executive Member of National Cooperative Union of India. Then, he became 'Mantri' of Assam RashtrabhashaPrasarSamiti from 1993 to 2006. He was a proud father of six children who established themselves in higher positions. He is survived by four sons, two daughters and a host of grandchildren. Deuta's death has left a void that perhaps will never be fulfilled. Today, on this day of his adyashraddha, I join in prayers for the eternal peace of the departed soul and offer solace to the grieving family.
-PrasantaTalukdar (Tatu)