I was deeply saddened by the sudden passing away of Prafulla Chandra Sharma, IAS, ex Chief Secretary, Assam, on September 9, last Tuesday, due to some health issues. A brilliant direct recruit IAS officer of 1975 batch, Prafulla Sharma was my younger colleague, as I joined the IAS in 1968, also as a direct recruit. Prafulla served with me in different positions, starting with the post of SDO Barpeta in the rank of Addl. D.C., in 1979, when I was the DC of undivided Kamrup district. We worked very closely in handling the Situation arising due to the Assam Agitation on Foreigners Issue!
Prafulla Sharma was a very simple, amiable, affable, ever- smiling, soft-spoken, hard- working, dedicated, conscientious and efficient & public servant. He was a self- built person, having struggled through difficult times in his early life. It was to his credit, that, though he studied in Assam only throughout his student career, he could get selected into the IAS, by sheer hard work, in a single attempt.
Born to Durga Nath Sharma and Smt. Bhobani Sharma, on 16 October 1950, at Kamargaon, a suburb of Dergaon, Prafulla had a very difficult journey to make before he attained adulthood, His father, a primary school teacher, did not have a strong economic background and often, in order to earn some extra income, he went to the local hat to sell vegetables and other agricultural produce, accompanied by young Prafulla. He also assisted his father in agricultural activities, including broadcasting of paddy seeds, raising and planting of paddy saplings, tilling of land, ploughing with bullocks, harvesting of paddy by reaping etc.
About three months before his passing away, I and my wife Rita, who also knows Prafulla & his wife Ranjita well, visited them at their Bamunimoidan residence. Although, Prafulla was not doing well, had difficulty in talking & walking due to some health issues, accidents etc., he gave us warm company for some time, spoke to us in spite of difficulties and expressed delight at our visit.
It may be recalled that, in his early years, Prafulla had a very strong and extraordinary urge to study, which he used to do while grazing cattle in the field also with his friends. He had a uniformly brilliant academic career. Starting his primary education at Kamargaon Higher Primary School, he joined Dergaon Higher Secondary School, where from he graduated in Higher Secondary Examination 1967 securing Sixth position, among all successful candidates of Assam. In spite of poor financial condition, his parents supported him and sent him to Cotton College, where he took up B.Sc Honours course in Chemistry He received scholarships from the Govt. for his performance in HSSLC Exam. Again he passed out in flying colours, securing 1st class 1st position in Gauhati University. Next he got admitted into M.Sc. (Chemistry) at Gauhati University and passed in 1972 securing 1 st class 1 st position in the University. Thereafter, he joined RRL Jorhat as a Junior Scientist for sometime; then shifted to Assam Agricultural University at Jorhat as Lecturer and then to Dibrugarh University as an Asstt. Professor of Chemistry. In 1975, after clearing the All India Civil Services Combined Competitive Examinations 1974 conducted by the UPSC, Prafulla joined as a direct recruit IAS Probationer and was allotted to the Assam Cadre. On completion of training at NAA Mussorie, Prafulla Sharma had his first posting at Dibrugarh as Assitant Commissioner After that, he had served in different capacities in Barpeta (Kamrup District), Tezpur (Sonitpur District), Project Director (DRDA), Under Secy. Ministry of Defence, Govt. of India on deputation, Secy. to the CM (Prafulla Kr. Mahanta), Commissioner & Secy. Education, Industries & Commerce, Transport departments etc. He adorned the post of Chief Secretary, Assam for about three years and finally retired from the IAS after long distinguished public service of 36 years.
The sudden death of Prafulla Sharma has been widely mourned. In his passing away, I have lost a loving friend, a well-wisher and a brother officer and Assam has lost a conscientious, diligent and patriotic son, who served the common man to the best of his abilities, with all his heart & soul. A man of many virtues Prafulla was well-versed in Sanskrit and studied the Bhagavad Gita, the Vedas and other ancient Scriptures. I and my wife offer our Profound Condolences to his loving wife Ranjita and his three children, Parija, Ritaja and Ritam who are well-educated and all settled and doing well in life, as also his sons & daughters in law and grandson Rudrangsha May his soul rest in eternal peace in Vaikuntha! May the Almighty God bestow the required strength & fortitude on Ranjita and other members of the bereaved family, to bear with the irreparable loss! Om Shanti Shanti Shanti!
JP Rajkhowa, IAS (Rtd.)
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