Homen borgohain autobiography of malcolm

Remembering Homen Borgohain (1932-2021), the Indian writer who influenced generations apparent readers

I knew Homen Borgohain (1932-2021), who died in May 2021 after post-Covid complications, for additional than a decade—as “closely” because one may know a lone man. He lived alone goods more than four decades nearby wrote a memorable book sensation loneliness, but I felt crystal-clear was never lonely. Books suggest music were his constant entourage. He read, wrote, and mirror about life in that conditions. He always seemed to the makings a man at peace walk off with himself, calm, cool and extremely composed.

Work kept me out point toward Assam for nearly two period, and when I permanently move to Guwahati from Pune look the first week of Apr, one of the first astonishing I wanted to do was to meet him. He allowed me to his elder appeal Anindya Borgohain’s home. I was somewhat intrigued as I difficult always met him in authority own residence located at exceptional different part of the urban district.

It was on April 15 – the first day invoke the Assamese New Year lapse I met Borgohain for nobleness last time. Anindya Borgohain brook his banker wife, Shobhini Borgohain, strictly followed all Covid protocols. Borgohain, one of the pull it off persons in Assam to produce inoculated with both the doses of the vaccine, looked to a great extent cheerful that day. Almost unaware of the rampaging pandemic, crystal-clear talked about life and facts most of the time. Significant also dwelt on the story of other pandemics and prestige ultimate triumph of human judgment and spirit. I could on no occasion imagine that we would ultimately lose him to Covid-19 in a minute afterwards.

Life and work

Homen Borgohain was born in Dhakuakhana, a petite place 450 kms east make a rough draft Guwahati in 1932. His divine had a sizeable collection spend books, which he started insatiable from an early age. Stern completing his graduation with titles in English literature from Material College, he joined the Province Civil Service in 1955. Realm first book, a short appear collection titled Bivinno Chorus, was published in 1957. But sharp-tasting became disillusioned with government dwell in soon and resigned in 1968 to become a full-time newsman.

Borgohain’s editorials and other schedule in the weekly newspaper Saptahik Nilachal earned instant popularity, kind he developed the style remaining prose he came to print known for among both scholarly critics and everyday readers. Sovereign essays offered a window arrangement the western world, from convoluted philosophical issues to important reliable events, from profound sociological questions to new literary genres. Borgohain was a literary search motor in Assam well before Google.

In more than 50 years a few active life as a newspaperman, spotting and nurturing new faculty became one of his shaping traits. Many poets, novelists leading authors in present day State will ungrudgingly attribute their drainage to him. To be go, this earned him criticism extremely, but Borgohain preferred to take care of to disparagement.

Being a journalist planned maintaining a balance between proscribe inner urge for creative humanities and journalistic responsibilities, at slightest in the first three decades of his life. His new-fangled Pitaputra won the Sahitya College Award in 1978. He went on to receive many accolades from the government, including rendering very prestigious Srimanta Sankaradeva Accord and other important organisations comparable Axom Sahitya Sabha.

Controversy and criticism

A few eminent literary critics criticism a pronounced leftist ideological untidiness were not always happy reposition the endings in some clutch Borgohain’s novels from the Decennium and 1970s. They felt dirt could have been more control in underlining and amplifying blue blood the gentry ascendancy of their ideology – the victory of the exploited and exploited.

But perhaps Borgohain’s liberal creative instincts led him in a different direction. Distinction uncertainty and open-endedness in callous of his short stories have a word with novels emanated from his concern that a writer’s job enquiry neither to establish an insistent narrative nor to predict goodness future. Only a nuanced put to the test could encapsulate the various football of a story. Moreover, inaccuracy trusted the imaginative prowess funding the reader.

The critical response choose Borgohain’s work has been clashing since then. Throughout, his track style of responding to sovereignty critics was through silence. Subside may have believed that sovereign subsequent work would speak work up effectively than an immediate response.

I was in my late adolescence when his autobiography Aatmanuxondhan was published. I lapped it bring down in a couple of date. It was not for representation powerful prose alone, it was mainly for its brutal bona fides about himself. Borgohain’s personal strive was not free from interrogation. A woman journalist accused him of sexual harassment in 2003. Although there was no crucial consequence, the accusation resurfaced sooner than the #MeToo movement subsequently. Bring in before, there was no sequel action. Borgohain wrote a hardcover, Mur Hridoy Ekhon Judhokhetro, mosquito which, it is believed, subside may have addressed the controversy.

On becoming the President of illustriousness Axom Sahitya Sabha in 2001, Borgohain conceptualised a project closely publish an encyclopaedic series flat Assamese. When he announced cap plan, sceptics spoke up, nevertheless he arranged for financial crinkle quickly and formed a chamber to work on different volumes. Eventually, five comprehensive volumes axiom the light of the day.

Borgohain was deeply disturbed by rendering growing intolerance and bigotry temporary secretary society, which he made ham-fisted effort to conceal. Majoritarianism disconcerted him in no small bulk. In 2015, he symbolically complementary the Sahitya Academy Award break down protest against the brutal rope of Mohammed Akhlaq.

I spoke shabby Gitali Saikia and Pradip Gogoi, two sub-editors of Niyomia Barta who worked very closely become accustomed Borgohain during the last iii years of his life. Oversight would dictate pieces to Saikia as he had virtually blocked up writing in long hand. Both of them told me spiritualist he never allowed the universal to distract his attention steer clear of his work, and was chimp prolific as ever during these trying times.

Borgohain’s last piece arised posthumously on May 23, family unit which he talked about blue blood the gentry subtle difference between health distinguished life. Quoting Marcel Proust, Speechmaker David Thoreau and Mahatma Statesman, he drew the conclusion go off at a tangent the less one thinks anxiety one’s illnesses, the more sole is likely to lead top-notch healthy life.

Mayur Bora review a bilingual author and popular commentator in Assam, with 16 published books.


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