Hemalata Baruah : A Tribute

My grandmother Smti. Hemalata Baruah who passed away on 23 February last due to oldage ailment, was a lady with all perfections. Be it the world of her culiry expertise or the write-ups in her memoirs, or her beautiful art of landscaping and gardening, barely anyone could ever find a flaw in it. She was so good with her knitting, embroidery and tailoring skills that words are not enough to describe them. Aged 93, she died at her Harabala Path residence of Bora Service, Guwahati. My grandfather Khird Ch Baruah, a former executive engineer of Guwahati Division of the Public Works Department, predeceased her in 1997.

Associated with various socio-cultural activities her capable days such as participating in the developmental aspects for woman and children, radio programmes etc. my grandmother was a unique persolity with the undaunted attitude towards any hurdle in life. Come whatever, she would brave that with the words, “Yes, we will overcome it.” I guess this always made her remain strong and calm in the worst of the crisis that did hit the family innumerable times. She used to tell me, “never give up, keep going and you shall see the light at the end of the tunnel.” She was too broad-minded for a lady of yesteryears who never could learn computers or read much on globalization and e- commerce. But being of immense curious ture, she used to ask her grandchildren about the world of internet and anything new she found it unknown to her. She was fond of reading and this helped her to assemble the house with all kinds of fasciting collection of books. In fact, she used to gift books to all her seven children on their birthdays instead of toys and cloths.

We all could see in her a woman of substance. Audacious, elegant and liberal. Words and time won’t be much enough to describe grandmother as a whole. She saw and put up with so much in her life. She did play her role very well and led a life with worthiness till she breathed her last. She is no more amongst us today, but her words and the examples she had set on all of us shall remain buried deep in our hearts till we remain on this earth. On her Adya Shradha, I pay my humble tribute to one of the finest ladies I had ever known. May her departed soul rest in eterl peace.

—Arundhati Baruah