Nabakanta Barua

Navakanta Barua (December 26, 1926 – July 14, 2002), also known as Ekhud Kokaideu, was a prominent Assamese novelist and poet.

Biography

Early life and education

Nabakanta Barua was born December 26, 1926 in Guwahati to Nilakanta Barua, a school inspector and later teacher, and Swarnalata Baruani. He had three brothers: Devakanta, Jivakanta, and Sivakanta. (Devakanta Barua also became a well-known Assamese poet, best known for poem collection Sagor dekhisa.) At first the family lived in upper Assam, then moved to Puranigudam and lastly lived in Nagaon town.

He started his education at a nearby school, then joined govt Mojolia school. In 1933 he was admitted to Nagaon govt boys in class 3, from there he completed his matriculation in 1941. After that he got admitted to Cotton College, but he lost two years due to illness. In 1943, he went to Shantinikaton (West Bengal). In 1947 he completed his B.A. with English honors and in 1953 M. A. from Aligarh Muslim University.

Career

He worked in Uttar Pradesh at Shikohabad at A.K collage , but the same year he had joined Jorhat's Jagannath Barooah College. In 1954 he joined Cotton College and worked there until 1964. From 1964 to 1967 he worked at Assam Madhyamik Shiksha Parisod as an officer of English education . He again joined Cotton College, retiring as a vice principal in 1984.

He served as president of Asam Sahitya Sabha's Dhing Adhibashan in 1968 and presided over Asom Sahitya Sabha's Bishwanath Chariali convention in 1990.

Death and afterward

Navakanta Barua died on July 14, 2002.

Published works

Barua wrote most criticized and recited poems like "Polokh", "Monot porne Arundhati", "Norokot DonJuan", and "Crussot DonJuan".

Barua's contribution to Assamese art and literature includes 39 books in all: 11 poem collections, 5 novels, essays, short stories for children (Xeali palegoi ratanpur) and lyrics. Some of his works have been translated to different Indian languages.

In 1984, he published the Assamese magazine Sirolu, later republished as Natun Sirolu.

Awards

• 1974: Assam Prakashan Parisod Award, Mur aru Prithibir
• 1975: Sahitya Akademi Award to Assamese Writers, Kokadeutar Har
• 1976: Padma Bhushan, Literature & Education
• 1993: Assam Valley Literary Award

See also

• Assamese literature
• Mahapurusha Srimanta Sankardeva
• Jyoti Prasad Agarwala
• Laxminath Bezbarua
• Krishna Kanta Handique
• Bhabananda Deka
• Music of Assam

References

Persondata
Name	Barua, Nabakanta
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	December 26, 1926
Place of birth
Date of death	July 14, 2002
Place of death