REMINISCENCE

On one Sunday in one of the earlier months of early 1955, I came from my place of work to spend the day in Dibrugarh town, where I was in the company of Late Amulya Chaliha. While driving westward stopped at a place just on the outskirts of the town and Late Chaliha introduced me to a young smiling person, med Deva Prasad Phookan, who was standing on the roadside, opposite to his parental house which immediately enlivened my memory to remind me of the me of his father, Late Dr. B. Gogoi, who was a highly esteemed person in the medical fraternity in his days and who retired as a Director of Pasteur Institute at Shillong, the erstwhile capital of undivided Assam.

Young Phookan treaded the path of his father and became a qualified MBBS doctor. Dr. Phookan’s mother was known to be well-educated and an able teacher in Government Girls’ High School at Dibrugarh, a rarity in those days when women’s education was not well-spread. Dr. Phookan’s four sisters had high level of university education which they achieved with distinction, truly an educatively enlightened composite family.

Dr. Phookan’s wife is the daughter of Late Khetradhar Borgohain and grand-daughter of Late Radha Kanta Handiqui.

After a long lapse of time since I met young Phookan in 1955 and my post-retirement settlement as permanent resident of Guwahati, I had on a few occasions met Dr. Phookan at his Lachit gar house which was his settled place of residence. For some unknown reasons, the image of meeting the young smiling Phookan in 1955 remained imprinted in my memory. Perhaps the destiny was to bring closer ties between our two families. It became a reality when Dr. Phookan’s elder daughter came to our family as an endearing daughter-in-law.

Dr. Deva Prasad Phookan died on 03.02.17 after a prolonged illness. He left behind his wife, two married daughters with their husbands, grand children and one and only son.

Dr. Phookan was a faculty member of Gauhati Medical College and retired as a Superintendent of the Gauhati Medical College and Hospital.

Dr. Phookan lived a life of full contentment with unpretentious simplicity who had no malice against anybody, nor had he ever spoken ill of any person.

Dr. Phookan’s passing away has made me uncomfortably conscious of my ailing psyche of the waning phase of my life.

Me and my wife Ri join the bereaved family members of Late Dr. Phookan and also of his extended family members in prayer for the eterl peace of the departed soul.

  A.K. GOHAIN,

  Zoo rangi Road,

   Guwahati