GUWAHATI, June 23 ? Veteran freedom fighter, politician, writer and a leading jurist of the State Gaurishankar Bhattacharyya, who for his oratory skill and political acumen could command respect even from his political rivals during his heydays as a legislator, is no more. According to family sources, the end came at 6-15 pm today at the Guwahati Neurological Research Centre (GNRC) here. He was 87. Sri Bhattacharyya had an accidental fall at his Ulubari GS Road residence here on June 4. This resulted in a fracture in his left hip joint and subsequently he was shifted to the GNRC where on June 16, a surgical operation was conducted on him to repair the fracture. But since June 17, some complications like lung problems, kidney problems, etc, developed necessitating his shifting to the intensive care unit (ICU) and being put on the ventilator. He was on ventilation since June 17, said the family sources. He leaves behind two sons, three daughters, his wife and a host of relatives. Arnab Goswami of Star News is his grandson.
A prolific writer, Sri Bhattacharyya, who has as many as 20 books to his credit on various topics in both Assamese and English, was also a regular columnist of many newspapers published from the State. He was awarded the prestigious Sahitya Akademi Award for his Swadhinatar Rajbichar in 1998. His autobiographical Sabinai Nibedan and the Bhumiputrar Marma Bedana also won accolades from the critics and for the latter one he bagged the Asom Sahitya Sabha?s Asom Kesari Ambikagiri Roychoudhury Award. Also an exceptionally brilliant student, Sri Bhattacharyya, who secured the first position among the successful candidates of the Matric Examination conducted by the Calcutta University (CU), appearing from the Nalbari Gordon High School, was a double MA from the CU (Economics and History). He obtained his LLB degree also from the same university.
Once a fiery communist leader, Sri Bhattacharyya was elected to the State Assembly on four occasions and he represented Guwahati Legislative Assembly Constituency twice in the State Assembly. In 1953, he was returned on a Communist Party ticket to represent Guwahati LAC. He was serving a jail term then for his being a communist. He was the youngest of the MLAs of the State then. He also represented Barbhag LAC twice in the State Assembly. A voracious reader, Sri Bhattacharyya, son of the Late Sauridutta Bhattacharyya Tarkatirtha of Barbhag Samarkuchi in Nalbari district, also completed a book on Nobel laureate Amartya Sen?s economics. His last rites will be performed at the Navagraha crematorium at 11 am tomorrow.
Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, while condoling the death of Sri Bhattacharyya, said he was a great leader who always strove for uplift of the society. His death is a great loss for the State, he said and conveyed his heart-felt sympathy to the bereaved family members. State president of Janata Dal (S) Ramani Barman, in his condolence message, termed Sri Bhattacharyya?s death as a great loss and conveyed his sympathy to the bereaved family members. Sri Bhattacharyya joined the Janata Party in 1977 and became the State president in 1980. He was elected to the Assembly four times as a Left candidate. Mourning his death, the Assam State Committee of SUCI termed him as a man of the masses and said with his death the progressive Leftist movement has received a severe jolt. It has also created a deep void in the intellectual arena of the State, it added. The BJP also deeply mourned the death of Bhattacharyya.