My father Shri Rabindra Chandra Bora passed away on 31st
December at the age of 84. He was born to renowned freedom fighter and ex MLA
of Nagaon Shri Mahi Chandra Bora.
My father viewed education as the key to success in life. After graduating in Nagaon College, he received admission at the Banaras Hindu University and travelled the length of the country by train to join one of the most prestigious Central Universities in the country. In his memoir my father wrote with great affection about this period for it created the foundation of the kind of life he led. After receiving his Master’s Degree in English he headed back to Nagaon to begin his career as a lecture of English, at A.D.P. College. He had a profound command over the English language, an ear for great anecdotes and near-photographic recall of large and small episodes of his life. Along with his teaching profession he indulged in his passion for writing. Starting in the early eighties he began writing book reviews of different authors written on various subject matters ranging from religion, biography, poetry, novels, short story, literary criticism, journalism, travelogue and children literature. Innumerable articles got published in the Assam Tribune, the North East Times, and the Amrita Bazar Patrika. His essays were interspersed with literary thoughts of Plato and Aristotle, quotations from plays of Shakespeare and Bernard Shaw or especial references to the novels of Earnest Hemingway and James Joyce. They were so packet with information that parts of them read like fascinating commentary on different aspects of literatures and perhaps planted the seeds on as decades later I started writing for the Horizon and the Sunday Reading in the Assam Tribune.
I came to the United States as a Software Professional
two decades back. It was in the late nineties, and we were some of the first
batch of qualifying Engineers from Jorhat Engineering college selected by
various Multinational companies. It required a lot of hard work and when I
think about that achievement, I think of my father who gave wings to my academic
dreams. My father was there at the Delhi International airport biding me goodbye
as I boarded my first international flight to a new world. And so, among all
the other things I owe him, I owe him the gift of a certain kind of freedom I
received from him, the freedom to do things differently.
When I think about my father, I think of another
abiding quality- dignity of the self. That sense of dignity meant he was always
his own man. It also meant that he was less inclined to admit infirmity of mind
and body and was disciplined in taking care of both. My father died a natural
death, it was perhaps the end of a dignified journey as the poet Hiren
Bhattacharyya once wrote “Mrityuto eta shilpo, jibonor kothin shilot kota
nirlobh bhaskarjya” (Death too is an art, an unimpassioned sculpture on
life’s granite). Ankur Bora resides in Dallas , Texas ,
USA
Sorry to hear about your loss, our heartfelt condolences. I
really liked reading your touching tribute and knowing more about your
father. We will keep him and your family in our prayers.
Chandan Mozumder
So sorry to hear the sad news about the loss of your father who was a great inspiration for you in shaping your life. These are the instances of life which we have to bear. Our thoughts and prayers are with you and Anjana. Anvi and Riddhi may also have been very saddened, love to them. We pray for the departed soul to rest in eternal peace in heaven.
Debabrata da and Juri baideu
So sorry to get the sad news. Our heartfelt condolences to you and your family.
May God gives you the strength to cope up with the difficult time. May your father's soul rest in peace.
With deepest sympathy
Parul baideu and Deben Dada.
Rupak Borah
I pray that his pious soul may rest in peace. Your beautiful tribute brought back very sweet memories of my association in the early days of my life. You are blessed to have a father like him and he must also have been proud of you. Please convey my condolences and warm regards to your mother. Best wishes,
Madan Bezbaruah
Binoy K Bordoloi
Lukuba and Kailashda
My deepest condolences to you and your bereaved family. May you all get the strength to face this difficult time. Regards
Aklantika Saikia
Alpana Baideu and Ram da
With regards,
Rukmi Dutta
Buljit Buragohain
Enakshi Baruah
Anwesa Mahanta
Niren Choudhury
Published in Assam Tribune January 10th .
