Homen Borgohain
Encyclopedia
Homen Borgohain is an India
n writer, poet, critic, columnist and editor in the Assamese language
. He was awarded the 1978 Sahitya Akademi Award
in Assamese language
for his novel, Pita Putra.
Homen Borgohain is one of those few Assamese
writers whose works have attracted the attention of a wide number of readers and many acclaimed critics alike. He has carved a niche for himself in the domain of Indian literature by the magic of his words and his refined and dignified personality. He is one of those rare artistes who has allowed the flow of life to find its own form in art.
Though he is a natural columnist, yet his multifaceted genius exhibits its prowess in the genres of novel, short story and poetry with equal aplomb. He is a prolific writer but that has in no way jeopardised his own artistic integrity. Writing for him is a deep ethical commitment. In spite of having rural roots, Borgohain’s work shows a deep understanding about urban complexities. In the early phase of his life Borgohain led an almost bohemian existence and the reflection of that particular life can be visualised in many of his early stories.Borgohain first edited an Assamese weekly News paper 'Nilachal' and later he edited another Assamese weekly 'Nagarik'. Afterward, he served as a senior staff of Bangali Daily Newspaper 'Ajkal'. Borgohain's editorial articles of Nagarik and Nilachal are edited by Dr. R. Sabhapandit and published in two volumes in Assamese.
, the most prestigious college of India's North East. He married Nirupama Tamuli, famous in Assam as Nirupama Borgohain : one of the most popular writers of her generation and an exponent of early feminist writings in Assam. They have two sons, Anindya Borgohain and Pradipta Borgohain. Nirupuma, too won the Sahitya Akademi Award
for her novel Abhijatri. Their son Pradipta Borgohain is also a writer and academic who teaches at the Gauhati University
. Their elder son, Anindya, apart from working with a bank, is also a freelance writer in Assamese. The writer couple wrote a novel called Puwar Purobi Sandhyar Bibhash, which is the first and perhaps the only joint-novel written in Assamese. They have three grandchildren: Manalika, Jahnvi and Arunita.Sahitya Akademi Award winner Rita Chowdhury
's bestselling as well as controversial novel Popiya Torar Sadhu probably derives inspiration from Homen Borgohain and Nirupuma Borgohain's life. Homen Borgohain currently lives in Dispur, Assam.
In Edinar Diary, Borgohain goes one step forward and tries to understand the essence of existence with a philosopher’s profound quest for truth. Borgohain is 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. As one character, Aditya Baruah says towards the end of the novel – “Life must be having a meaning; I will endeavour to find out that meaning from today”.
He wrote all the novels after doing a great amount of research. Some of his novels contain a part of his life. Pita Putra, Astarag,Saudar Puteke Nao Meli Jai are such examples. Matsyagandha, is one of his most famous works—the story of Menaka, a lower caste
woman. It was made into a major motion picture with Nikumoni Barua in the lead character.
Currently, he serves as the editor of Amar Asom
, the most prestigious daily newspaper in Assam. He is known to encourage and discover a host of new writers in Assam who are established names in Assam now; such as Anuradha Sharma Pujari
, Manikuntala Bhattacharya, Pranab Kumar Barman, Jayanta Saikia, Anamika Bora, Archana Borthakur, Dhanada Devi, Aruni Kashyap
, Nirmal Sahewalla, Pranay Phukan and many more. Indira Goswami mentions fondly how she was encouraged by Homen Borgohain to write her autobiography, which went on to become a legendary book in Assamese literature. Homen Borgohain's style of personal essays, that effortlessly combines with the social and the political is called "Homenism" by a critic in Satsori journal, one of many literary publications he founded and edited.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n writer, poet, critic, columnist and editor in the Assamese language
Assamese language
Assamese is the easternmost Indo-Aryan language. It is used mainly in the state of Assam in North-East India. It is also the official language of Assam. It is also spoken in parts of Arunachal Pradesh and other northeast Indian states. Nagamese, an Assamese-based Creole language is widely used in...
. He was awarded the 1978 Sahitya Akademi Award
Sahitya Akademi Award
Sahitya Akademi Award is a literary honor in India which Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters, annually confers on writers of outstanding works in one of the following twenty-four major Indian languagesAssamese, Bengali, Bodo, Dogri, English, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri,...
in Assamese language
Assamese language
Assamese is the easternmost Indo-Aryan language. It is used mainly in the state of Assam in North-East India. It is also the official language of Assam. It is also spoken in parts of Arunachal Pradesh and other northeast Indian states. Nagamese, an Assamese-based Creole language is widely used in...
for his novel, Pita Putra.
Homen Borgohain is one of those few Assamese
Assamese people
The Assamese people are a well-defined subgroup of People of Assam. Though sometimes they are defined as the Assamese-speaking Indo-Aryans of the Brahmaputra valley,, this definition is not legally binding...
writers whose works have attracted the attention of a wide number of readers and many acclaimed critics alike. He has carved a niche for himself in the domain of Indian literature by the magic of his words and his refined and dignified personality. He is one of those rare artistes who has allowed the flow of life to find its own form in art.
Though he is a natural columnist, yet his multifaceted genius exhibits its prowess in the genres of novel, short story and poetry with equal aplomb. He is a prolific writer but that has in no way jeopardised his own artistic integrity. Writing for him is a deep ethical commitment. In spite of having rural roots, Borgohain’s work shows a deep understanding about urban complexities. In the early phase of his life Borgohain led an almost bohemian existence and the reflection of that particular life can be visualised in many of his early stories.Borgohain first edited an Assamese weekly News paper 'Nilachal' and later he edited another Assamese weekly 'Nagarik'. Afterward, he served as a senior staff of Bangali Daily Newspaper 'Ajkal'. Borgohain's editorial articles of Nagarik and Nilachal are edited by Dr. R. Sabhapandit and published in two volumes in Assamese.
Life
Born in a small village of upper Assam, Homen Borgohain came to Guwahati to study in Cotton CollegeCotton College
Cotton College was a Roman Catholic boarding school AT in Cotton near Oakamoor, North Staffordshire, England, also known as Saint Wilfrid's College. It closed in 1987 and the site is now derelict....
, the most prestigious college of India's North East. He married Nirupama Tamuli, famous in Assam as Nirupama Borgohain : one of the most popular writers of her generation and an exponent of early feminist writings in Assam. They have two sons, Anindya Borgohain and Pradipta Borgohain. Nirupuma, too won the Sahitya Akademi Award
Sahitya Akademi Award
Sahitya Akademi Award is a literary honor in India which Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters, annually confers on writers of outstanding works in one of the following twenty-four major Indian languagesAssamese, Bengali, Bodo, Dogri, English, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri,...
for her novel Abhijatri. Their son Pradipta Borgohain is also a writer and academic who teaches at the Gauhati University
Gauhati University
Gauhati University, the first university of North East India, is in the Jalukbari area in the western part Guwahati city, Assam, India. It was established in 1948. It is a four-star rated university by the National Assessment and Accreditation Council. It has 183 affiliated colleges.- Campus :The...
. Their elder son, Anindya, apart from working with a bank, is also a freelance writer in Assamese. The writer couple wrote a novel called Puwar Purobi Sandhyar Bibhash, which is the first and perhaps the only joint-novel written in Assamese. They have three grandchildren: Manalika, Jahnvi and Arunita.Sahitya Akademi Award winner Rita Chowdhury
Rita Chowdhury
Dr. Rita Chowdhury is an established poet, novelist and also Sahitya Akademi Award recipient in the world of Assamese literature. She is presently working as a Senior Lecturer in Cotton College, Guwahati, Assam in Political Science Department...
's bestselling as well as controversial novel Popiya Torar Sadhu probably derives inspiration from Homen Borgohain and Nirupuma Borgohain's life. Homen Borgohain currently lives in Dispur, Assam.
Works
Though Borgohain has penned many controversial and thought provoking works like Subala, Pita Putra, Timirtirtha, Kushilab, the novels in which he most successfully scans the existence of man with all its complexities are Astarag and Edinar Diary. In Astarag, Borgohain shows us what it means to be alive in a world a full of pain and suffering. The heartrending agony of old age is portrayed so vividly in the novel that the readers are drowned in a well of sympathy for both Dilip and his father. Borgohain strives to prove the truth that life is an indefinite reprieve from death and to be alive is to gradually wither away.In Edinar Diary, Borgohain goes one step forward and tries to understand the essence of existence with a philosopher’s profound quest for truth. Borgohain is 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. As one character, Aditya Baruah says towards the end of the novel – “Life must be having a meaning; I will endeavour to find out that meaning from today”.
He wrote all the novels after doing a great amount of research. Some of his novels contain a part of his life. Pita Putra, Astarag,Saudar Puteke Nao Meli Jai are such examples. Matsyagandha, is one of his most famous works—the story of Menaka, a lower caste
Caste
Caste is an elaborate and complex social system that combines elements of endogamy, occupation, culture, social class, tribal affiliation and political power. It should not be confused with race or social class, e.g. members of different castes in one society may belong to the same race, as in India...
woman. It was made into a major motion picture with Nikumoni Barua in the lead character.
Currently, he serves as the editor of Amar Asom
Amar Asom
The Amar Asom is an ABC certified Assamese daily published by G. L. Publications Ltd. It was established on April 21, 1997 and is being simultaneously published from Guwahati, Jorhat and North Lakhimpur. It has a wide network of correspondents covering each and every corner of the Northeastern...
, the most prestigious daily newspaper in Assam. He is known to encourage and discover a host of new writers in Assam who are established names in Assam now; such as Anuradha Sharma Pujari
Anuradha Sharma Pujari
Anuradha Sharma Pujari is an influential Assamese journalist and author. She is the editor or Sadin and Satsori. Her contributions to Assamese literature include fiction and essays. She is editor of the Assamese monthly magazine Satsari and the highest circulated Assamese weekly SAADIN . She lives...
, Manikuntala Bhattacharya, Pranab Kumar Barman, Jayanta Saikia, Anamika Bora, Archana Borthakur, Dhanada Devi, Aruni Kashyap
Aruni Kashyap
Aruni Kashyap is an Indian English writer. He grew up in Guwahati and studied at St. Stephen's College, Delhi. He works as the Assistant Editor of Yaatra : The Journal of Assamese Literature and Culture. An excerpt from his forthcoming novel set against the secret-killings of Assam was published...
, Nirmal Sahewalla, Pranay Phukan and many more. Indira Goswami mentions fondly how she was encouraged by Homen Borgohain to write her autobiography, which went on to become a legendary book in Assamese literature. Homen Borgohain's style of personal essays, that effortlessly combines with the social and the political is called "Homenism" by a critic in Satsori journal, one of many literary publications he founded and edited.
Novels
- Saudor Puteke Nau Meli Jay
- Halodhiya Soraye Baudhan Khai
- Astarag
- Pita Putra
- Timir Tirtha
- Kushilab
- Edinar Diary
- Bisannata
- Nisongota
- Subala
- Maystagandha
Awards
- Sahitya Akademi AwardSahitya Akademi AwardSahitya Akademi Award is a literary honor in India which Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters, annually confers on writers of outstanding works in one of the following twenty-four major Indian languagesAssamese, Bengali, Bodo, Dogri, English, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri,...
- Assam Valley Literary AwardAssam Valley Literary AwardThe Assam Valley Literary Award was conceived in the year 1990 by Williamson Magor Education Trust to honour outstanding creative writers who have enhanced the richness of Assamese literature.-History:The award was announced by Shri B.M...
- Nilamoni Phukan Award from Asom Sahitya SabhaAsom Sahitya SabhaThe Asam Sahitya Sabha was founded in 1917 in Assam, India to promote the culture of Assam and Assamese literature. Presently it has about one thousand branches all over Assam and also outside the state. The central office is at Jorhat a city of historical importance...
See also
- Assamese literatureAssamese literatureAssamese literature is the entire corpus of poetry, novels, short stories, documents and other writings in the Assamese language. It also includes popular ballads in the older forms of the language during its evolution to the contemporary form. The literary heritage of the Assamese language can...
- Mahapurusha Srimanta Sankardeva
- Jyoti Prasad AgarwalaJyoti Prasad AgarwalaJyoti Prasad Agarwala was a great Assamese playwright, songwriter, poet, writer and film maker from Assam. He was considered as Assamese cultural icon, deeply revered for his creative vision and output and is popularly called the Rupkonwar of Assamese culture...
- Laxminath BezbaruaLaxminath BezbaruaLakshminath Bezbaruah was a great Assamese personality in Assamese literature. He gave a new impetus to the Assamese literature that had stagnated for some time and enriched it through his essays, plays, fiction and poetry. As a sensitive artist he responded to the influences of social environment...
- Krishna Kanta HandiqueKrishna Kanta HandiqueKrishna Kanta Handique was a Sanskrit scholar, an Indologist and philanthropist from Assam.-Biography:...
- Bhabananda DekaBhabananda DekaProf Bhabananda Deka , is a multi-faceted writer of one hundred twelve books, textbooks on economics, literature and political science, and articles from Assam, a state in the north-eastern part of India.-Biography:...
- Music of AssamMusic of AssamThe music of Assam, a state in the northeastern part of India, can be divided into various categories of folk music. In recent times starting the late eighties popular artistes have modernized the music that caters to local popular demand....