Letters to the EDITOR: A revered chair

A revered chair

A special wooden chair has been preserved with due honour by Bhupen Kalita, a malaria worker of the state medical department, in his house at Burhakhat village near Pothorughat in Darrang district. The chair was made exclusively for Homen Borgohain, an eminent author and journalist from Assam, to sit on during a visit to his house on an auspicious occasion. The favourite author of Bhupen Kalita visited his house on February 21, 2014, sat on that particular chair for a few hours, and left. After his departure, the chair became a valuable asset and an object of devotion for the family. The chair would never be used by anyone else, and it would lovingly be preserved as a mark of respect to Homen Borgohain. The backdrop to the story is; in 1995, Bhupen Kalita met with an unfortunate serious accident and had to be bed-ridden for years when he got acquainted with Borgohain through his books. Kalita read almost all the books written by the great Assamese prose writer lying in bed. He received inspiration from some of his masterpieces, got a new lease of life, and recovered from his ailments. His broken heart was invigorated. Bhupen Kalita turned into a devoted reader and ardent follower of Homen Borgohain. To show his gratitude to his beloved author, he gave the surname of ‘Borgohain’ to his own son and daughter in due course of time. He was keen to meet Borgohain one day to tell him how much he loved his work. It was really hard to meet Homen Borgohain because of his sense of time, tight schedule, and penchant for punctuality. But Kalita was resolute. After many efforts, he met Borgohain at both his office and residence. Homen Borgohain was convinced about the honesty and love Kalita has towards him as a reader or fervent follower. Borgohain was shocked to know that Kalita had changed the family surnames of his son and daughter as a mark of respect for him. Finally, Borgohain accepted the “Annaprasan” invitation of Bhupen Kalita and paid a visit to the latter’s home at Burhakhat village in Darrang district on the particular date. The famous Assamese litterateur satisfied the urge of Bhupen Kalita’s heart and fed the first spoon of rice to eleven-month-old Dheetashri Borgohain with his own hand sitting on the chair. He also gave Dheetashri a bundle of precious gifts. The visit of Homen Borgohain to Bhupen Kalita’s house testifies to the bond that exists between the readers and the authors and inspires the making of friendships through books. The chair preserved by Bhupen Kalita has become a thing of attraction and the subject of a story for the book-loving people of the district.

Kulendra Nath Deka,

Dighirpar, Mangaldai