One of the greatest poets of the Modern Assamese era is Dev kanta Barooah. Instead of the atindriyavad tune, Dev kanta Barooah’s poem got a romantic thoughts found a new look, volume. Dev kanta Barooah created a new genre in Assamese poetry literature by stepping into the two ages of modern and romantic. Dev kanta Barooah who moved away from the mainstream of romantic poetry and spread a new romantic thinking consciousness, is also known as the last poet of romantic poetry.
Biography of Dev Kanta Barooah
| Name | Dev kanta Barooah[1] |
| Date of Birth | February 22, 1914 |
| Place of Birth | Dibrugarh, Assam |
| Father | Neela kanta Barooah |
| Mother | Swarnalata Barooah |
| Education | 1/ Barpeta Primary School 2/ Manik Chandra Middle English School, Guwahati. 3/ Cotton Collegiate High School 4/ Nagaon Government School 5/ Banaras Hindu University |
| Death | January 28, 1996. |
Early life as well as Education
Dev kanta Barooah, a poet of Kalanpar and a poet of sankrantikal in Assamese poetry literature, was born in Dibrugarh on February 22, 1914. His father’s name is Neela kanta Barooah and his mother’s name is Swarnalata Barooah.
Dev kanta Barooah, who started his primary education at Primary School in Barpeta, got the opportunity to study in different parts of Assam through his father’s work. Dev kanta Barooah studied at Manik Chandra Middle English School, Cotton Collegiate High School in Guwahati after completing his primary education at Primary School in Barpeta. Later he enrolled in Nagaon government school in class VIII and passed the entrance examination from this school in 1930.
Importantly, when Dev kanta Barooah passed the entrance examination, the freedom movement against the British across India took a huge turn. At that time, Dev kanta Barooah, who was responsible for self respect and national life, also actively participated in the freedom movement and was fined Rs 200 along with six months in prison for participating in the movement. Importantly, Dev kanta Barooah could not get admission in Cotton Presidency College despite passing the entrance examination with first division due to prison break by participating in the freedom struggle. Because both the college authorities had made a vow that they could study only if they promised not to participate in the liberation struggle in future. Disagreeing to the terms Dev kanta Barooah enrolled in Banaras Hindu University. Because Banaras was one of the centers of the freedom struggle of the time. Dev kanta Barooah graduated from Banaras Hindu University in 1935. Dev kanta Barooah returned to Assam after completing his bachelor’s degree as well as completing MA in English and Law from Banaras.
Also Read: Biography of Harishankar Brahma
As a Poet
Devkanta Barooah, who made his debut as a poet on the pages of Awahan magazine in 1929, served till 1947, taking over the editing of the daily Assamese paper on the advice of Jyotiprasad Agarwala and Amiya Kumar Das in 1946. Later he also served as the editing of the New Assamese paper published by Ramdhenu Prakash Limited in 1949. Importantly, in New Assamese, Devkanta Barooah wrote editorial articles with many fixed values like ‘Latakata Ran’, ‘Swargdeo and Burhagohain Samachar. Devkanta Barooah as editor was very strict about the purity and order of the language.
Dev kanta Barooah also participated in active politics besides shouldering the responsibility of editing with dedication. Devkanta Barooah joined the Assam Pradesh Congress party in 1938 and took over as Assistant Secretary of the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee in 1945.
Work life
He served as a member of the All India Congress Committee in 1950 and served as a member of the Parliament for two years. Dev kanta Barooah was elected as a member of the Lok Sabha in 1952. Jawaharlal Nehru appointed Lal Bahadur Shastri as well as Dev kanta Barooah as Lok Sabha deputy chief after being elected as member of Parliament. Barooah later served as a member of the Congress Working Committee. Importantly, Devkanta Barooah was the youngest member of the Congress Working Committee led by Jawaharlal Nehru at that time. Devkanta Barooah also served as the Chairman of Guwahati Oil Refinery that year in parallel with serving as speaker of Assam assembly from 1957 to 1959. Devkanta Barooah served as minister of education, tourism and cooperative portfolios from 1962 to 1966 in the Vimala Prasad Chaliha’s cabinet after winning the assembly elections in 1962. He also served as chairman of the Oil Corporation of India from 1968 to 1970. Devkanta Barooah served as Governor of Bihar in 1971. Devkanta Barooah, who served as minister of petroleum and chemistry in the Union Cabinet in 1973, served as President of the Indian National Congress in 1974. Importantly Devkanta Barooah was known in the political circles of Delhi as DKB.
Importantly, Dev kanta Barooah played an important role in establishing Dibrugarh University, a leading institute of higher education in Upper Assam. Barooah laid special emphasis on spreading science and technology in Assam while serving as education minister. Devkant Barooah was also a visionary as an MP.
Sahityaraj
Devkanta Barooah who made his debut on the leaves of Aabahan also discussed poetry in parallel with his participation in active politics. His only collection of poems is “Sagar Dekhisa” published in 1945. “Sagar Dekhisa”, a collection of popular poems appreciated among the readers of Assamese poetry, contains a total of 35 poems. Importantly, Devkanta Barooah has a unique place in the Assamese poetry world even though the published poetry book is just one. Devkanta Barooah’s ‘Sagar Dekhisa’ which is marked as the link bridge between Assamese romantic poetry and new poems is equally appreciated in Assamese poetry literature, just as Kalidas’s “Meghdoot” as a poem of love and dispersal at the All India level. “Sagar Dekhisa” composed almost all the poems contained in the poetry book in the third decade of the twentieth century and was published on the pages of the popular magazine Aabahan of that decade. Barooah was basically a poet of love. Importantly, in Devkanta Barooah’s poem, The ‘Kolong Nai’ (Kolong River) had a distinct existence, an aesthetic appearance. Kolong Nai (Kolong River) got special prominence in his poems. For which Devkanta Barooah is also known as the ‘Poet of Kolongpar’ in Assamese poetry literature.
Contribution to the literary world
Devkanta Barooah, also known as the poet of Ali Domoja or poet of the ages, created a new genre in Assamese poetry literature with his own thoughts and perspectives at the turning point of the romantic period and modern era. Dev kanta Barooah’s poem has the fragrance of real life. Content, expression, sound power, language energy, seriousness of emotion swaying and spontaneous expression are seen to give special volume and dignity to Devkanta Barooah’s poems. Importantly, the power and beauty exist equally in the poetic language of Devkanta Barooah. The immense power and strength of the language to capture the thought is reflected in Devkanta Barooah’s poem. Apart from this the dramatic performance in his poetry has given extra joy and sweet consonant. Barooah’s poem on dramatic performances reflected the influence of Ratnakanta Barkakati and the dramatic monlogue of English poet Browning. Dev kanta Barooah succeeded in beautifully giving a new-look to Browning’s dramatic lyricism.
Devkanta Barooah’s poem reflects the candid confession of love. Through poetry Barooah tries to express the concept of love in a lively and clear way. Declaration of Pride of Human Love is one of the features of Devkanta Barooah’s poem. In one word, the enthusiasm, elegance, pulse, warmth, mobility, sensitivity of romantic love in Devkanta Barooah’s poetry is not very reflected in the poems of other poets. According to eminent negotiator, poet Nilamani Phukan, one of the best love poets of Assamese literature is Devkanta Barooah. Devkanta Barooah brought a youthful blood and beauty to the Assamese romantic poetry world in the thirties with the application of dramatic psychosis and a beautiful lymphatic language ritual. Devkanta Barooah transformed the poetry genre into a new form by changing the nature of love flowing from the very beginning in Assamese romantic poetry. Devkanta Barooah’s poem contains the meaning and meaninglessness of love, the hope and breaking of hope, the sweetness and sadness of imagination.
Conclusion
Dev kanta Barooah lived silently in Delhi for nearly 20 years of his life. Importantly, despite serving in many important positions in political life such as minister, governor, Oil India chairman, President of the Indian National Congress, he had only his only ancestral property to be called real estate. Later the ancestral house in Nagaon was also not his. His address was rented house while he was in Delhi till his death. A pioneer of modernity, a veteran politician in the national political world, The Kalanpara poet Dev kanta Barooah died on January 28, 1996 while undergoing treatment at Gangaram Hospital in New Delhi.
FAQ
1. When and where was Dev Kanta Barooah born?
Ans: He was born on February 22, 1914 at Dibrugarh, Assam.
2. What is the name of the Dev Kanta Barooah’s only collection of poems and when it was published?
Ans: His only collection of poems is “Sagar Dekhisa” published in 1945.
3. By what name Dev Kanta Barooah is popularly known as?
Ans: He is popularly known as ‘Poet of Kolongpar’ and ‘Poet of Ali Domoja or poet of the ages‘.
4. When did Dev Kanta Barooah served as the President of Indian National Congress?
Ans: He served as President of the Indian National Congress in 1974.
5. By what name did Dev Kanta Barooah was known as in the political circles of Delhi?
Ans: Devkanta Barooah was known in the political circles of Delhi as DKB.
6. When did Dev Kanta Barooah died?
Ans: Dev Kanta Barooah died on January 28,1996.
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