Dr Amalendu Guha passes away

BY OUR STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI, May 7: Renowned historian, economist, social scientist and writer Dr Amalendu Guha passed away at his residence here at around 3:45 am on Thursday following old age ailments. He was 91 and is survived by his wife and eminent writer Anima Guha and a son.

Following the news of Guha’s death, several people visited his Ulubari residence to pay their last respects to the departed soul.

An author who wrote in English, Assamese and Bengali, Guha has several books to his credit, including his most acclaimed ‘Planter Raj to Swaraj’. His two published poetry collections are Tumaloi (Asomiya) and Luit Parar Gatha (Bengali).

Guha was conferred Sahityacharjya Award by the Axom Xahitya Xabha (AXX) for his literary works, and served as president of various segments of the Xabha. He was widely regarded for his extensive research related to the socio-economic history of Assam.

Guha was an active member of All India Students’ Federation and the Communist Party of India. He was also an executive member of the Indian History Congress (1975-77), president of North East History Association (1981-82), and president of Indian History Congress Modern India Session (1983).  Born on January 30, 1924 at Imphal in Manipur, he took his MA degree in Economics from Calcutta University and began teaching at Darrang College in Tezpur. He retired from the Kolkata-based Centre for Studies in Social Science in 1990.

His body was taken to Cotton College, Xahitya Xabha Bhawan, CPI (M) office and Ellora Vigyan Mancha where people from different walks of life paid tributes.

Guha, through a registered will in the year 2005, had doted his body to the Gauhati Medical College and Hospital for research.

The Assam government, in a statement, expressed profound grief on Guha’s demise and conveyed condolences to the bereaved family.  Apart from condolences from the government, the APCC, the AGP, the BJP, the CPI (M), the AIUDF and the AASU also expressed their profound grief at Guha’s demise.