Veteran cultural activist Ratna Ojha no more

Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI: Veteran cultural activist, writer, dramatist, and actor Ratna Ojha breathed his last at his house here in the wee hours on Tuesday following a brief illness. He was 89.

He completed his graduation from Cotton College, and started his career in the Assamese daily ‘Shanti Dut’. He also taught at the Barpeta Government High School and Juroram Girls High School. Late Ojha was a news editor at Guwahati Doordarshan and also worked for several weekly newspapers.

Honoured with the prestigious Natyasurya Award in 2005 for his significant contributions in the field of theatre, Ojha was popular among the masses for introducing street plays in Assam with a skit called “Kokaideo” in 1971. Apart from the highly-acclaimed trilogy — “Gobhor”, “Urbor” and “Kobor”, produced by his theatre troupe ‘Gobhor Natyagosthi’ — Ratna Ojha introduced cartoon theatre in the entire Northeast region. He was the director and producer of the documentary “Namghaar”.

Ojha was the former Vice-Chairman of Srimanta Sankardev Kalakshetra and also of Dr. Bhupen Hazarika Cultural Trust.

He actively participated in the anti-CAA protest rally at Latasil playground here recently.

Meanwhile, the Government has decided to give full State honours to the departed soul. People from different sections of society including AASU have conveyed their condolences to members of the bereaved family. Governor (Prof) Jagdish Mukhi, Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal; Assam Finance and Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma; Press Adviser to Chief Minister Hrishikesh Goswami; AGP president Atul Bora, State BJP president Ranjeet Kumar Dass; and the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee have also condoled the demise of the noted cultural personality of the State.

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