Dr Jnanadananda Ray Baruah, an eminent medical practitioner of Assam passed away on April 1, 2019 at Guwahati. Born on January 2, 1930 to Paramananda Ray Baruah who was the Mouzadar of Paschim Barkhetri Mouza and Jayanti Bala, he was the youngest among 11 children and therefore the most loved especially among the sisters. Lovingly they called him Babu and Akon at home.
Starting his career from the Gauhati Civil Hospital which is now Mahendra Mohan Chaudhury Hospital he was soon posted as head of the Matia primary health centre in Goalpara. During this period, he married Nalini Dutta Baruah, daughter of Sahityaratna Hari Narayan Dutta Baruah. Incidentally, Nalini was the first woman graduate of Nalbari College. Dr. Ray Baruah then joined the Assam Engineering College hospital as its head. During this period he was offered a scholarship for further studies at Edinburgh, U.K. but due to his father’s ill- health he could not go.
His independent minded father never wanted his doctor son to be a government servant and was keen that he serve the people in Nalbari where medical facilities were at that time totally inadequate. On his persistence, Jnanadananda resigned from a promising govt. career and comforts of a secure life and started his private practice in Nalbari.
Dr. Ray Baruah was an ardent social worker as well, so much so that often his social work took precedence over his professional work. He was the Honorary Secretary of Indian Red Cross Society, Nalbari for 16 years during which he built its office on a 4 bigha plot donated by a well-wisher on which he also built a hospital with the help of MPLAD funds given by Rajya Sabha MP, Late Tare Charan Mazumdar. He also constructed a primary health centre at Pubkalakuchi village on land donated by his mother-in-law, Late Parbati Dutta Baruah.
Dr. Ray Baruah was also an active member of the Assam Science Society, Nalbari Moina Porijat, Indian Medical Association, Nalbari Sahitya Samaj etc. He helped set up the Nareshwari Girls M.E. School in Nalbari. He was a regular contributor to various literary journals and also published a book of poems and another containing his published articles. Later he became an active member of the Theosophical Society and visited the Adyar Headquarters several times. Dr. Jnanadananda Ray Baruah was the founder president of an NGO called Divyajyoti Jan Kalyan Society which carried out various social projects mainly in tribal areas. He was also recipient of the Dr. Ambedkar Fellowship Award in 2007. Dr. Jnanadananda Ray Baruah belonged to the rare breed of people who lived a pure, contented life happy to serve people selflessly away from the glare of publicity and materialism. On his Adya Shraddha today, we pay tribute to his noble soul. May his soul rest in eternal peace.
— Prerona Ray Baruah
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