GUWAHATI, Feb 13 ? Eminent litterateur Medini Choudhury breathed his last while on way to a city hospital around 10 am today. Choudhury was terminally ill for the past couple of years. He was 76. Born to Late Hitram Choudhury and Late Sarala Bala Choudhury at Ramcha village near Goreswar in Kamrup District, Choudhury had his school education at Gadlapara and Nalbari Gurdon High School. He did his BA from Cotton College in 1948.
After working as a journalist for the Asomiya and the Dainik Santidoot for some years, Choudhury joined the Assam Civil Service in 1956. He retired from Government service in 1986. His Ananya Prantor, a book on the local influences on spoken Assamese, written in the form of a travelogue, took the Assamese literary world by storm in the early 1970s. This was followed by Banduka Behar on Mahapurush Madhavdev, Ferengadao on Kalaguru Bishnu Prasad Rava, Jadugharar Kirtimukh, Taat Nadi Nasil, Yangjoo Nadir Paar, Nibandhita Anubhab, Luit , Barak Aru Islam and Bipanna Samay, among others. His Taat Nadi Nasil received the Publication Board, Assam, Award in 1977 and Bipanna Samay ? the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1999. He authored about 30 books, including two in English. Besides, he has to his credit a good number of short stories like Sihate Kewal Mare and critical and analytical articles. His books in English are ? Tribes of Assam Plains and Bodo-Dimasas of Assam. Sri Choudhury also edited Samakaal and Sutradhar, two Assamese magazines.
Though he was offered the Ambikagiri Award for Bipanna Samay and the Khandelwal Award for Luit, Barak Aru Islam by the Asam Sahitya Sabha in the late 1990s, Choudhury refused to accept them. A writer always with a mission to reflect the miseries of the poor, their problems, their aspirations, with a special feeling for the tribal people of the State, Choudhury remained to be accorded his due recognition for the contributions he has made. Choudhury was also involved in the 1942 freedom struggle. He was also associated with Kalaguru Bishnu Rava and the RCPI movement. He was also associated with the 1947 movement for the tribal people?s right of entry to the Barpeta Satra as a vanguard. In 2002, State Government honoured him with the Bishnu Rava Award and the Tripura Government also honoured him with Advaittamalla Award in the same year.
Cancer in his prostrate gland was detected in 1998 and he was taken to various reputed hospitals of the country for treatment by his family members. Today, he fell seriously ill and collapsed on his way to a hospital. On receiving the news of the demise of Choudhury his fans, friends, and well wishers rushed to his house at the Housing Board Colony, Chandmari here. Asam Sahitya Sabha President Dr Birendranath Datta, noted artist Shobha Brahma, Education Minister Pankaj Bora, Handloom and Textile Minister Hema-prabha Saikia, Minister of State for Cultural Affairs Pranati Phukan, former Industry Minister Gunin Rajkhowa were among the dignitaries who visited the Choudhurys? today. He leaves behind his wife, three daughters, a son and a host of relatives. His last rites were performed at the Navagraha crematorium this evening in the presence of a number of people.