–Partha Pratim Mazumder
A man who never compromised with his literary activities until his death, a real encyclopedia of facts and figures from east to west, south to north – was litterateur and journalist Homen Borgohain. But unfortunately, Borgohain passed away on 12th May morning. He left the material world at 6.58 am at the GNRC Hospital in Guwahati.
Homen Borgohain was born on December 7, 1932, in a small village in Dhakuakhana in the Lakhimpur district of Assam. Borgohain joined Cotton College in Guwahati for higher studies after completing matriculation from Dibrugarh Govt Boys’ Higher Secondary School. Borgohain also worked as an Assam Civil Service (ACS) officer for a brief period.
A critic, columnist and editor who primarily wrote in Assamese, he was awarded the 1978 Sahitya Akademi Award in the Assamese language for his novel, Pita Putra. Borgohain was one of those few Assamese writers whose works have attracted the attention of a wide number of readers and many acclaimed critics alike. He was one of those rare artists who allowed the flow of life to find its own form in art. His multifaceted genius exhibited its prowess in the genres of novel, short story and poetry with equal aplomb. He was a prolific writer but that has in no way jeopardised his own artistic integrity. His novels, short stories and poetry are works of sheer genius. “Pita Putra” was one of the most important works of the celebrated writer. For the novel, he was awarded the Sahitya Akademi Award.
Borgohain’s autobiography “Atmanuxandhan” was considered to be one of the most valuable contributions to Assamese literature. He wrote the autobiography in the 80s and it became one of the most read and discussed books of those times. Writing for him was a deep ethical commitment. In spite of having rural roots, Borgohain’s work shows a deep understanding of urban complexities. Borgohain first edited an Assamese weekly newspaper ‘Nilachal’ and later, he edited another Assamese weekly ‘Nagarik’. Afterwards, he served as a senior staffer of the Bengali daily newspaper ‘Ajkal’. Borgohain, who occupied a distinguished place in Assam’s literary and intellectual arenas, was serving as the chief editor of popular Assamese daily ‘Niyomiya Barta’ till his death.
Borgohain’s death has been widely mourned in the state.
Borgohain was a widely read man and the gems of his erudition are scattered throughout the pages of the book which help us to come to terms with our existence in a better way. The sense of alienation, despair, boredom all find manifestations in that particular work and we close the book with an enhanced understanding of our existence. He wrote all the novels after doing a great amount of research. Some of his novels contain a part of his life. He was known to encourage and discover a host of new writers in Assam who are established names in Assam now. Homen Borgohain’s style of personal essays, which effortlessly combines with the social and the political was called “Homenism” by a critic in Satsori journal, one of the many literary publications he founded and edited.
