Omeo Kumar Das | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | (1895-05-21)21 May 1895 |
| Died | 23 January 1975(1975-01-23) (aged 79) Guwahati, Assam, India |
| Other names | Lok Nayak |
| Occupation(s) | Indian independence activist Social reformer Translator Educationist |
| Known for | Social reforms |
| Spouse | Pushpalata Das |
| Awards | Padma Bhushan |
Omeo Kumar Das (21 May 1895 – 23 January 1975), popularly addressed asLok Nayak, was an Indian social worker,Gandhian, educationist, writer and a former minister at theGovernment of Assam. He held various ministerial portfolios such as Education, Labour and Food and Civil Supplies, during various periods, in the state ofAssam.[1] He translatedThe Story of My Experiments with Truth, the autobiography ofMahatma Gandhi, intoAssamese language and contributed to the implementation ofTea Plantation Workers' Provident Fund in the state. The Government of India awarded him the third highest civilian honour of thePadma Bhushan, in 1963, for his contributions to society.[2]India Post honoured Das by issuing a commemorative stamp on him on 15 May 1998.[3]
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Das was born on 21 May 1895 atNagaon district in the Northeast Indian state ofAssam and his schooling was at Tezpur High School,Tezpur. He did his higher education atCotton College, Guwahati andCity College, Calcutta during which time he was reported to have been attracted to the activities ofIndian independence activists such asGopal Krishna Gokhale andBal Gangadhar Tilak and started getting involved in student politics.
He was one of the leaders of theCivil disobedience movement of 1930 in Assam and was jailed many times during the freedom struggle.[1] He successfully contested the Assam Legislative Assembly and the Constituent Assembly elections of 1937 and 1945 respectively and, after theIndian independence, he representedDhekiajuli Assembly constituency for three consecutive terms, 1951, '57 and '62.[4] During these periods, he served as minister in various portfolios. It was during his tenure as the Labour minister, that theWorkers' Provident Fund for the labourers of the tea plantations was instituted, an initiative reported to be among first such instances in Asia.[1] As the minister of Education, his contributions were noted in the implementation of basic education scheme in Assam. He also served as the minister of Food and Civil Supplies for a period of time.[1]
Das is credited with the publication of several books, includingMor Satya Aneshwanar Kahini, anAssamese language translation ofThe Story of My Experiments with Truth, the autobiography ofMahatma Gandhi.[5]Gandhijir Jiboni,Mahatma Gandhik Aami Kidore Bujilu andAsomot Mahatma are some of his other works. He was involved with the activities of several social and Gandhian organisations such asHarijan Sevak Sangh, Bharatiya Adim Jati Sevak Sangha, Bharat Sevek Samaj,Gandhi Smarak Nidhi, Kasturba Smarak Nidhi and Assam Seva Samiti and was a part of their social activities like campaign againstsubstance abuse and rehabilitation of patients afflicted with leprosy and tuberculosis.[1]
The Government of India included him in the 1993Republic Day honours list for the civilian award of thePadma Bhushan.[2] He died on 23 January 1975, aged 81, survived by his wife, Pushpalata Das, renowned freedom activist and parliamentarian,[6] and their daughter.[7]Omeo Kumar Das Institute of Social Change and Development (OKD),Guwahati, an autonomous institution funded by theIndian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR), was named after Das, on his birth centenary in 1995.[8]India Post issued a commemorative postage stamp on him in 1998.[3] A college atDhekiajuli has been named,Lokonayak Omeo Kumar Das College, in his honour.[9]
