Dr Kamala Mahanta and Dr Digen Das: A tribute

My childhood and beloved friend, Dr Kamala Mahanta (Baby), a brilliant astrophysicist, is no more, leaving us all in deep grief. On May 1, 2026, she suffered an accidental fall at her home in Utica, New York State, USA, and succumbed to her injuries within a few hours. Her husband, Dr Digen Das, who had been suffering from illness, passed away on May 4, 2026, just a few days after the demise of his beloved wife. This heartbreaking and unimaginable loss has left the entire Assamese community in the USA and Assam in profound grief.

Kamala was the daughter of the great educationist, the late Kobi Chandra Mahanta of Jorpukhuripar, Uzanbazar, Guwahati. We studied together at the famous Latashil L.P. School and M.E. School and later at T.C. School, where I studied for a few years. She later joined Cotton College with a physics honours degree and completed her MSc at Gauhati University. She had a brilliant academic career.

Dr Digen (Babul) Das was the son of the late Prof. Chandra Das of the Physics Department at Cotton College. Babul Da was also the elder brother of my friend Renu. We grew up on the Cotton College campus at Panbazar, where the late Chandra Das served as the superintendent of the 2nd Mess and my father, the late Phanidhar Dutta, served as the Registrar of Gauhati University. Therefore, we knew each other from childhood. Babul Da was also a brilliant student. He studied at Cotton College and later at Assam Engineering College (AEC), Jalukbari, Guwahati. After graduating with flying colours, he joined AEC as a lecturer in the Mechanical Engineering Department. During this period, he married Kamala.

In 1970, Kamala and Digen Das went to the United Kingdom for higher studies and joined Cranfield University. There, both of them earned doctoral degrees – Dr Das in mechanical engineering and Kamala in physics.

In the 1980s, they moved to the USA, where Dr Das joined the State University of New York (SUNY), Utica campus, as a professor and faculty member, beginning a long and distinguished teaching career. Eventually, he became dean of the Engineering Department at the same institution. Dr Das published several research papers in universities across the USA and other countries.

Kamala was an astrophysicist specialising in quantum physics and contributed significantly to theoretical physics relating to dark matter in interstellar space. She obtained her PhD in astronomy from Cranfield Institute of Technology, now Cranfield University, in the UK. Kamala also served as a faculty member at the SUNY Utica campus and contributed greatly to higher education in upstate New York. She worked as a consultant with the US Air Force, authoring several valuable papers. She also participated in multiple research projects funded by NASA in Huntsville, Alabama.

Kamala was not only a scientist but also an animal lover and an excellent cook. She loved entertaining people. We stayed at their house several times and always enjoyed their warm hospitality. They took us to many fascinating places, including Howe Caverns in the USA, where we descended nearly 140 feet underground by lift and witnessed a remarkable natural world with a torrential underground spring and boats floating on it.

Both of them deeply loved music. Here, I must mention that Babul Da belonged to the famous Barua family of Uzanbazar and was the son of the elder sister of renowned personalities Ramen Barua and Dwipen Barua.

Although Kamala lived far away from Assam, she maintained regular contact with many of her friends and their families. I have missed her immensely. Her ever-pleasant smile, lively personality, sense of humour, and love for family and friends will be remembered and missed by all of us.

Dr Digen Das and Kamala leave behind two sons and several grandchildren. The sudden demise of this happy couple is not only an unbearable personal loss to us but also a huge void for their family, friends, and Assamese society. I pray for eternal peace for their departed souls.

– Rita Rajkhowa

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