Bhabananda Deka (19 August 1929 – 4 December 2006) was a pioneer Assam economist and author who conducted novel research on the economy of the far eastern part of India. He is a leading Indian-Assamese litterateur of the famed 'Awahon-Ramdhenu Era' of Assamese literature during the mid-20th century. He authoredf 115 English and Assamese books including textbooks on a range of fifteen subjects including economics, ancient Assamese literature, philosophy, education, religion, mythology, archaeology, tribal study, poetry, drama, memoirs, civics, political science, biographies; he also edited books and journals. He authored a variety of research papers and articles about the state of Assam, a state in the north-eastern part of India.Prof. Bhabananda Deka – a Custodian of Sankari Culture India-north-east.com He pioneered the writing of books on Economics in Assamese. His Assamese book Axomor Arthaneeti was the first ever research-based comprehensive book on Assam Economics, which was published for the first time in 1963. He was conferred with the honorary title of 'Asom Ratna' -- 'Jewel of Assam' by the intellectuals of Assam on 19 August 2007 at a public meet held under the presidency of Prof. (Dr) Satyendra Narayan Goswami.
Biography
Early life and education Deka was born to Late Baliram Pathak and Late Sayatri Bala Pathak at Byaskuchi Satra, Barpeta sub division of undivided Kamrup district, Assam. He completed his graduation in Economics from Cotton College, Guwahati, in 1954 and gained a postgraduate qualification in Economics from Gauhati University in 1957. Before his graduation, he gained teaching experience by working as part-time teacher at Sarthebari High School. After graduation, he went back to hometown and worked for a year as a teacher at Chenga High School. During that period, he also served historic Byaskuchi Satra (Monastery)'s governing body 'Bhattadeb Milan Samiti' as a secretary and was instrumental in re-establishing the Satra at a new compound together with the first Library (Bhattadev Puthivoral) at Byaskuchi Satra. He served the locality by opening up an income generating mechanism for covering the running expenses of the Satra by aligning with the annual Fishery allotment of the nearby Kapla Bil, the big lake and conservatory of various fish species.
He returned to Guwahati City to resume post-graduation studies in 1955, and had to earn his livelihood while learning in the University by working as Economist at Assam State Congress office under the patronage of state Congress President and ex-Chief Minister Mahendra Mohan Choudhury. After post-graduation examinations, he worked as teacher at two schools Kamrup Academy and North Guwahati Girls' School until the results were declared. With the newly acquired MA(Economics) degree, he received the first invite from iconic litterateur and founder of Arya Vidyapeeth College Prof. Giridhar Sarma to join in his newly founded College as a professor and Head of Economics Department. From 1957, he briefly worked in Arya Vidyapeeth College before joining another similar institution Pragjyotish College.
Career On 1 September 1958 Deka joined Pragjyotish College in the Economics Department as the professor and Head. He retired as Principal of Pragjyotish College in 1992. He was the Founder Principal of Bapujee College in Sarthebari in 1970., Pragonomics.com While he was working at Pragjyotish College, he took leave for a year and worked as a Senior Research Officer in the Language Unit of Union Public Service Commission, Delhi. He worked as Principal of 4 (four) other Graduate and Postgraduate Colleges in Assam. These Colleges were: Tamulichiga GKB College, Jorhat; Hajo BEd College, Dadara; Sarukehtri College, Borkapla and Guwahati Night College, Guwahati, Assam.
Intellectual & social works He was one of the first Assamese to form Asomiya Sahitya Samaj in India's capital city of New Delhi along with India Government's Minister Bijoy Chandra Bhagawati, former Assam Chief Minister and Member of Indian Parliament Jogendra Nath Hazarika, Parikshit Hazarika, Upendra Nath Goswami and others in 1968. They were subservient in the introduction of Assamese Language in Modern Indian Languages (MIL) Department of Delhi University.
Deka also established Assamese Department and Bengali Department in the Indian Constitutional body Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) in New Delhi, and introduced Assamese Language as a subject and medium for appearing in all-India level Competitive Examinations conducted by UPSC to select top bureaucrats of India Government.
He also organised the Birth Centenary of the doyen of Assamese literature Lakshminath Bezbaroa in New Delhi at all India level with the cooperation of two erstwhile Presidents and two Prime Ministers of India including Dr Zakir Husain, Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed, Indira Gandhi and Morarji Desai in 1968. His English book on 'Assamese Language & Literature' published during that Centenary celebration was released on 24 November 1968 by then President of India Dr Zakir Hussain in New Delhi. The only surviving copy of this book was recovered by story-writer, novelist and river engineer Arnab Jan Deka after death of Deka, and a re-edited, enlarged 2nd Edition of the book was published by him on 4 December 2014, which was officially re-launched by London-based Chief Editor of research journal Luit to Thames. A third International Edition of this book has been published in 2015 for readers and literary historians worldwide.
Deka was a leading member of Asom Sahitya Sabha. In public recognition of his immense literary contributions, he was unanimously elected as the last President of the undivided Kamrup District Sahitya Sabha in 1982. He was the founder of Assam Economic Association, Assam Foundation-India and Srimanta Sankardev International Foundation, and a frontline advocate of the rich literary and cultural heritage of Assam all over the world. He was influenced by Sankari Culture and folk culture heritage & was known for his participation in setting up Belbari Satra and Byaskuchi Satra (Vaisnavite Monastery) in Barpeta District of Assam in India.
Death He died on 4 December 2006 at his residence in Pub Sarania, Guwahati. Assam Legislative Assembly officially mourned his death in a special Winter Session in presence of 126 Members(MLAs) and Chief Minister with his all Cabinet Colleagues, wherein the Speaker of the Assembly presiding over the Session formally read out a Resolution in official acknowledgement of his role in propagating Assamese language and literature outside the state of Assam at all-India and international level. The Chief Minister of Assam Tarun Gogoi also officially condoled the death of Deka through a Press Statement, which was published in majority of dailies published from North East India on 5 Dec 2006. Other social organisations and individuals of prominence including: Assam Sahitya Sabha (Assam Literary Conference) under Presidency of Kanaksen Deka(Editor, Daily Agradoot), Media Trust, Assam and the International Prince Klaus Literary Award(Netherlands) winner novelist Dr Mamoni Raisom Goswami, Dr Indira Goswami, India's top literary award Saraswati Samman winner novelist Dr Lakshmi Nandan Bora, Cambridge University scholar and literary critic Dr Hiren Gohain, Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore Professor Dr Satyendra Narayan Goswami of Gauhati University, Chief Architect of Florida, USA, Amiya Kumar Das, singer-musician Dr Bhupen Hazarika's co-singer-sister Sudakshina Sarma and others personally visited Principal Deka's residence to condole his death by sharing grief with the bereaved family and pay their obeisance in memory of the departed soul.
Book author He authored a total 115 books, apart from many articles, essays and research papers. He wrote books on diverse subjects like classical Assamese ancient literature, philosophy, vaisnavite study, economics, Assam economy, political science, civics, education, heritage study, mythology, tribal study, poetry, travelogue, and biography.
His books have been used as textbooks and reference materials in universities in Northeast India. Some of his works, including Asomor Arthaniti (“Economy of Assam”), have been published in multiple editions. He has written on the life and works of Vaishnavite scholar Srimanta Sankardeva and his disciples, including Madhabdev, Damodardev, and Haridev, as well as on Vaishnavism and Sankari culture and philosophy. He has also translated Kirtan Ghosa, written by Srimanta Sankardeva, from Assamese into English. His English biography Sreemanta Sankaradeva covers the life and works of the scholar.
Editor of journals and magazines Deka was offered the editorship of a literary journal Ami in the year 1948 when he was an eighth standard school student at Barpeta Government High School. His foray into editing was a success, leading to more editing offers during later years in his life. Because of his love and dedication to the cause of Assamese literature, he accepted several such editing offers while he was at the peak of his professional career as a college professor and India government's bureaucrat. He jointly edited an iconic literary journal Udaygiri in 1964 while he was a college teacher. Almost all the top Assamese poets, essayists and story-writers of the time were regular contributors in this journal. He discovered several new literary talents and established them in the literary world by highlighting their works in his edited journal. His co-editor of this journal was Assamese literary critic Prof. Rammal Thakuria. He was the editor of several other literary and philosophical journals and magazines including Rastrajyoti and Gobinda. Rashtrajyoti was the first bilingual literary journal combining two of major Indian languages Hindi and Assam, and it received nationwide success for its innovative journalism.
Critical appreciation Deka's scholarly works have been critically acclaimed from early 1960s, largely in Assamese language media. Even posthumously, his literary contributions are continuously being critically evaluated. Northeast India's oldest English daily The Assam Tribune wrote about him and his works thus-- "Prof Bhabananda Deka, noted author, scholar and a pioneer economist of Assam has been credited with a plethora of scholarly books on Assam's heritage, literature, sociology, economy etc. He had always been active in projecting the motherland in all its glory through its rich legacy of literature and culture. One such marvellous work of his, the biography of Srimanta Sankardev, is actually a treasure for Indian art and literature. Prof Deka's book has beautifully encapsulated Sankardev's enriching works on every aspect of literature and art." The critical review further continued-- "The author not only emphasises on the works of Sankardev, but also on the works of the various other Sankarite scholars, past and present. Prof Deka beautifully exemplifies Sankardev's principles and teachings on how to live peacefully, despite the growing religious and racial intolerances prevalent then. I am sure that the re-publication of this book will bring Prof Bhabananda Deka's monumental work into focus, and pave the way for more extensive study and research on Sankardev, and his impact on the society at large."