Lakshmi Nandan Bora | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 15 June 1932 Kujidah,Nagaon district,Assam, India |
| Died | 3 June 2021(2021-06-03) (aged 88) |
| Occupation(s) | Writer and scientist |
| Years active | 1954–2021 |
| Known for | Novels, Short Stories |
| Spouse | Madhuri |
| Children | Seuji Tridib Nandan Swaroop Nandan |
| Parent(s) | Phuleswar Bora Phuleswari |
| Awards | Padma Shri Sahitya Academy Award Saraswati Samman Publication Board Assam Lifetime Achievement Award Assam Valley Literary Award Bharatiya Bhasha Parishad Rachna Samagra Award |
Lakshmi Nandan Bora (15 June 1932 – 3 June 2021) was an Indiannovelist and short story writer in theAssamese language,[1][2] known for over 60 books he has authored,[3][4] including award winning novels,Patal Bhairavi[5] andKayakalpa.[6] A recipient ofSahitya Academy Award andSaraswati Samman,[7][8] Bora was honoured by theGovernment of India in 2015 withPadma Shri, the fourth highest Indian civilian award.[9] He died on 3 June 2021, from complications caused byCOVID-19.[10]
Except for one novel, I had written all my other novels after my marriage, says Lakshmi Nandan Bora.[11]
Lakshmi Nandan Bora was born on 15 June 1932 at Hatichung of Kudijah village,[1] a small hamlet inNagaon district in the Northeast Indian state ofAssam to Phuleswar Bora and Phuleswari as the youngest of their five children.[3] His parents died while he was in his teens and he was brought up by his eldest brother, Kamal Chandra Bora.[3] He did his schooling at Nagaon High School, graduated in Physics (BSc) fromCotton College State University, Guwahati and secured his master's degree (MSc) fromPresidency College, Kolkata.[1][3] He pursued doctoral studies inmeteorology atAndhra University from where he secured a PhD, the first person to be awarded a doctoral degree in meteorology by the university.[3] For most of his career he worked atAssam Agricultural University, Jorhat as a faculty member and stayed with the institution till his retirement as a professor[7] and the head of the department of physics and agrometeorology[3] in 1992.[1][4] He has also served as a visiting professor at theJohannes Gutenberg University[1] for two terms.[3] Bora married Madhuri in 1961 and the couple has one daughter Seuji and two sons Tridib Nandan and Swaroop Nandan.[3] The family lives inGaneshguri, a satellite town of Guwahati, Assam.[3] Seuji Bora Neog is a Professor of Genetics and Plantbreeding at Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat, Tridib Nandan Bora is a Senior State Government Official while the youngest son Swaroop Nandan is a Professor of Mathematics at Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati. Lakshmi Nandan Borah died on 3 June 2021 at the age of 88.[12]
Bora wrote his first short story,Bhaona, in 1954, which was published in Assamese magazine, Ramdhenu.[3] His first book,Dristirupa was published in 1958 and the next one,Nishar Purabhi in 1962.[1] He published his first novel,Gonga Silonir Pakhi, in 1963, which is reported to have earned critical acclaim, has been translated into 11 languages[3] and was made into a film,under the same name, by Padum Baruah in 1976. The succeeding years saw him active in the political milieu of Assam and was arrested once, in 1981, under theNational Security Act.[3] His novel,Akou Saraighat,[13] written during this time and published in 1980, reflects his political leanings to a certain measure.[3] He also founded a weekly,Rangpur, and stayed as its editor till 1996 when he resigned from the post, reportedly due to ideological differences with the owner of the publication.[3]
Two more novels,Matit Meghar Chaan (1970) andBishesh Eraati (1979) and a short story anthology,Sehi Anuraga (1983) followed[1] before he published his novel,Patal Bhairavi in 1986[5] which won theSahitya Academy Award in 1988.[3] Two novels were published next,Kal Dingare Pal in 1988 andMatsya Kanya in 1995 followed byPreyashi (1996 - short story anthology),Jaa Keri Naahike Upaam andSehi Gunanidhi (1997 - novel),[1] the latter two inspired by the lives ofSankardev and his disciple,Madhavdev, renowned Assamese saint-scholars.[3] In 2008, he publishedKayakalpa, which won theSaraswati Samman fromK. K. Birla Foundation.[8] The work has since been translated into 22 Indian languages[8] as well as into English by Biman Arandhara.[4]
Lakshmi Nandan Bora has written a number of plays and books on agriculture and environment, taking his publications to a total of 60 books, composed of twenty nine novels and twenty six short story anthologies.[3][6] His short stories, 75 selected ones, have been compiled under the name,Lakshminandan Borar Charita Dasakar Galpa Samagra.[2] His published autobiographyKal Balukat Khoj was also serialized in the Assamese fortnightly,Prantik.[2] His other current projects are two books, one onHem Chandra Baruah, renowned lexicographer and social reformer and the other, onLakshminath Bezbaroa, a knownAssamese literary figure.[2]
He has served as the president ofAssam Sahitya Sabha (1996–97)[1][3] and as a member of the Planning Commission of Assam.[4] He has also been the chairman of the Assam Pollution Control Board[3] during the period 1997 - 2003[1] and served as the editor ofGoriyoshi, anAssamese monthly literary magazine.[6][7][11]
Some of the selected publications of Bora are:[1]
Bora received theSahitya Academy Award in 1988 for his novel,Patal Bhairavi[8] and the Assam Valley Literary Award in 2004.[4][6][7] His novel,Kayakalpa fetched him theSaraswati Samman[4][6][7] instituted by theK. K. Birla Foundation in 2008[8] and in 2012, Assam Publication Board honoured him with the Lifetime Achievement Award.[11] TheGovernment of India included him for theRepublic Day honours list, in 2015, for the civilian honour ofPadma Shri.[9]
