Gaurangadhar Baruah- A tribute

Professor Gaurangadhar Baruah, an eminent optical scientist, who was born on March 1, 1942 had his early education at Daimukhia TE primary school near Doomdooma, where his fellow students were the sons and daughters of tea garden labourers. His mother Bindu Basini Baruah (now deceased) was a school teacher of that school. Professor Baruah who lost his father Golok Chandrqa Baruah, also a tea  garden employee, in his early days, was solely looked after by his mother. A brilliant student all throughout his career, Dr Baruah purchased a plot of land on the outskirts of the town out of scholarship money he saved on completition of his Ph D degree in the  Banaras Hindu University (BHU) in Molecular Spectroscopy in 1969. He chose BHU for doing research as per advice of the Nobel Laureate Sir C. V. Raman who left a deep influence on him at his impressionable age. Like Raman, Professor Baruah, too, was a great follower of the ideals of Gautam Buddha in his work and deeds.

After working  for sometime in Jorhat Science College(now known as North East Institute of Science & Technology), Professor Baruah joined the faculty of  Dibrugarh University in 1973 from where he retired as a Professor in 2008 but worked as an Emeritus Professor as per recommendation of All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) for another three years fo the period 2008 to 2011. Along with teaching Dr Baruah assiduously pursued his research.  Altogether 32 students received Ph D degree under his guidance while he has more than 300 reseach papers published in different national and international research journals. His important work done on “Purkinje effect and bioluminescence of fireflies” published on November 25, 2010 in ‘Current Science’ attracted the attention of the scientific community around the world.

Even after his superannuation, he guided his students from his home town Doomdooma and solely devoted himself for the cause of scientific research by conducting the “Centre for LASER and Optical Science’ established in his house at Uchamati locality of the town.

Alongside his research work,  he took time to interact with the school and college students  spread over greater Doomdooma area and whole of Tinsukia district.

Inspite of his brilliance as a scientist what is memorable to us is his address to media persons of Doomdooma Press Club (DPC) as ‘Guest of the month’ on  July 28, 2013. In his address he said that the students now a days are more eager to scoring good marks only which is great impediment for acquiring knowledge.  How can they be inspired for pursuit of knowledge if they develop a careerist outlook during their student days. On teacher taught relation he fondly remembered his association with Nobel Laureate Sir C V Raman for a brief period at Bangalore (now Bengaluru) and said that even meeting a noble person for a moment could be source of life-long inspiration.

About his choice of living in a serene and isolated locality like Uchamati area of the town, he said that world renowned scientist Albert Einstein, too, preferred to live in an isolated area far way from the hustle bustle of city life. It requires a peaceful atmosphere to concentrate. Professor Baruah who was a firm believer of Buddhist ideology, said, “Everything is temporary in this world. So we should give proper thought and attention to whatever we do in our life. It is, therefore, essential that we should have an university in isolated place like Kakapather for spraed of education and medical colleges for providing proper public health care.”

This examplify his awareness about his surroundings and about the role of education which is essential for development of the country as according to him, we are much lagging behind than that of China in Science and Technology.

On the day of his Adya Sraddha today, I pay my homage to this great teacher of mine.

–Dhiren Deka

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