First Death Anniversary of Hiren Bhattachayya!

He was the Poet of Love and Sunshine!

One day at Zoo-Tiniali, while passing by, I saw that a tall, lean, grey haired man running after a city-bus to catch it! The bus just set off fast from the traffic signal towards Ganeshguri direction. The handyman and the bus conductor was averting him from doing that because they new he could not make it, and also at that moment the bus could not just stop for him. But, as if that old man was not at all ready to heed them, may be to show others that "I am not an old man u stupid fellows, you will see I am going to catch your bus"! Within a second, his hand got slipped off the bus door handle, jot a jolt, imbalanced, but somehow managed himself from falling down on the busy street, where other vehicles were rushing after it! Hardly other people in that busy area had any time to notice that, but I had. It took me no time to recognise the 'old man' that, he was none other than our respected, beloved Prem aru Rodalir Kobi (Poet of Love and Sunshine), one and only, Hiruda! For a fraction of second, I was stunned because of his that stint! I was just shocked and just for a moment thought that should I really show him my unhappiness because of his dangerous act? But I didn't have enough courage to do that. That was our Hiruda! Everybody knows a lot of stories of such kind of this great personality.

Hiren Bhattacharyya was one of the best known poets working in the Assamese language. His thoughts, his words made him standout among his contemporary poets. Soft, touching, pretty pure Assamese those words are! He was ever green man by his heart; he was like a child though! He loved nature, liked to spend his time among colourful flowers, butterflies.He liked to be cuddled up with fresh smelled mires of green, serene villages and spend his time within impregnated, soothing crop fields in different seasons. Also, he thought and talked about those people who are always cheated and deprived, tortured by powerful-mighty hands, capitalists. He always thought about their development and freedom. He was a great humanist!

Here some quotes from the famous poems are :

1. Chulit Rupali Rong Lagise

    Beya Nedekhi Lagok

    Sonali Khini Mosi Nidiba Buku Juri Thakok......

2. Mrityutow ata shilpo,

    ibonor kothin shilot kota nirlohb bhaskarjya 

This Sahitya Akademy award achiever poet had innumerable works published in Assamese and achieved many awards and accolades for his creations. As mentioned above, Prem aru Rodalir Kobi (Poet of Love and Sunshine) is his other name in the Assamese literature.

Hiren Bhattacharyya, that is Hiruda, was born at Jorhat district in Assam in the year 1932. His father was Tirthanath Bhattacharyya, a jailor and his mother was Snehalata Bhattacharyya. Hiruda was the second son among 6 children in their family. He had his primary schooling at Golaghat, Jorhat and Dibrugarh, did his secondary schooling in the Tezpur Government High School and Cotton Collegiate High School in Guwahati and then joined the Cotton College. After that he left Cotton College and joined B Borooah College as one of its first batch students. 

Last year, for severe lung infection and following other complex ailments he took his last breath at 11:30 AM on 04th of July 2012. He was 80 years of age. 

Hiruda’s work:

Hiren Bhattacharyya mainly worked in the field of Assamese poetry. He was the editor of several Assamese magazines and newspapers. Some of the magazines he worked on are Chitrabon, Monon and Antorik. He was the poetry editor of the Assamese magazine Prantik for over three decades.

He had to his name ten anthologies-

1. Roudro Kamona (1968)

2. Kobitar Rod (1976)

3. Tumar Bahi

4. Xugondhi Pokhilaa (1981)

5. Mor Desh aru Mor Premor Kobita (1972)

6. Bibhinno Dinor Kobita

7. Shoichor Pothar Manuh (1991)

8. Mur Prio Bornomala (1995)

9. Bhalpowar Buka Mati' (1995)

10.Bhalpowar Dikcou Batere (2000)
Collections of nursery rhymes:

1. Lora Dhemali (1991)

2. Akou Dhemali (1991)

3. Roi Roi Dhemali (2008)

Others:1. Ancient Songs, (English Translation)

2. Jonaki Mon O Onyanno etc. (Bengali Translation)

3. There are three collections of his poems in Bengali – Jonaki Mon O Anyannya (1991),         Sasyer Math Manush O Anyannya (2002)

4. Shipar Theke Pata Abadhi (2010), and a collection of his songs in Bengali – Bristi Pare Ajhore

(2011)

Awards:

1. Bishnu Rava Bota, 1958

2. Rajaji Puroskar, 1984-85 awarded by Bharatiya Bidya Bhawan

3. Soviet Desh Neheru Bota, 1987

4. Sahitya Akademy Award in 1992 for his anthology of poems ‘Saichor Pathar Manuh.

5. Asom Upotyoka Sahitya Bota, (Assam Valley Literary Award) 2000 awarded by Megor Sikhya Nyash

6. Souhardya Sanman of Uttar Pradesh Hindi Sangsthan in 1992

7. Ganesh Gogoi Award of the Assam Government in 2010

8. Padmanath Vidya Binod Smriti Sahitya Puraskar in 2011

Today, in his first death anniversary, every one must be remembering him in their own style. We are expressing our love and respect to this eminent poet through this simple blog. 

In his own word -‘Death is also an art’!

Wherever you are, may God give you peace! 

We miss you a lot Hiruda!