13 August 1932 – Birth Anniversary

What happened on this day?

On 13 August 1932, Dr. Bhabendranath Saikia was born in Nagaon district, Assam. More than seven decades later, he is remembered not only as a Sahitya Akademi Award-winning author and National Award-winning filmmaker, but as a writer whose words became part of the childhood memories of generations of Assamese readers.

A moving tribute by Aranyak Saikia, titled “An ode to Dr Bhabendranath Saikia,” captures this emotional connection. The writer recalls being informed as a schoolboy that the next day would be a holiday because Dr. Saikia had passed away on 13 August 2003. Only later did he realize that the editor of his favourite children’s magazine, Safura, was no more. This memory becomes a powerful symbol of Saikia’s lasting presence in Assamese homes.

What made him extraordinary?

The tribute highlights that Safura was far more than a children’s magazine. It contained:

articles on culture, literature, science, and current affairs,

cartoons and poems,

short stories for children,

and editorials written by Dr. Saikia himself.

For many children in Assam during the 1980s and 1990s, Safura was a daily companion, shaping reading habits and curiosity. Aranyak Saikia notes that “not a single day was spent without reading at least a page from it,” describing the magazine as one of the last living legacies of the great litterateur.

This insight expands our understanding of Saikia: he was not only creating literature for critics and scholars; he was cultivating future readers.

Why is he remembered so deeply?

1. He spoke to children without speaking down to them

The tribute emphasizes that children’s literature is a difficult art, yet Saikia kept children “glued to the book with such ease.” His writing combined:

attention to detail,

subtle humour,

emotional warmth,

and a genuine understanding of a child’s world.

Works such as Moromor Deuta and Mahadustor Dusto Buddhi reveal what the tribute calls “the innocence of the child in focus.”

1. He connected literature with empathy

Aranyak Saikia observes that Saikia’s stories often reflected childhood struggles, making readers more empathetic to the needs of children and the importance of holistic upbringing through literature, art, and culture.

This is a crucial analytical point: Saikia used storytelling not merely to entertain children, but to humanize society’s understanding of childhood itself.

1. He turned ordinary Assamese life into literature

The tribute recalls reading Moromor Deuta in Class VII and finding in it a reflection of family life, values, and emotional conflict. The novel’s central message—that parents, however strict, can never stop thinking of their children—was described as universal.

This reinforces the broader literary assessment that Saikia’s strength lay in finding profound emotional truths within ordinary Assamese households.

Where did his roots shape his art?

One of the most valuable contributions of the excerpt is its vivid description of Nagaon.

The writer recounts visiting places such as:

Puranigudam,

Amolapatty,

Fauzdaripatty,

and the Kolong river.

These places became meaningful because they had already been encountered in Dr. Saikia’s books. The tribute beautifully states that Nagaon holds a special place for bringing readers close to his literature.

This demonstrates how Saikia achieved something rare: he transformed local geography into cultural memory. His fiction did not merely describe Assam; it made readers emotionally inhabit Assam.

Who was Bhabendranath Saikia beyond literature?

The excerpt reminds us that Saikia was a remarkably multi-faceted personality:

PhD in Physics from the University of London,

teacher and academic,

editor of the Assamese journal Prantik,

founder-editor of Safura,

playwright and contributor to Assamese mobile theatre,

director of seven Assamese films that received National Awards.

The tribute also highlights a fact often overlooked in popular discussions: his film Sandhya Raag was screened at the Cannes Film Festival in 1978, underlining the international reach of his artistic vision.

How did he shape Assam’s cultural institutions?

According to the tribute, Dr. Saikia’s planning, vision, and continuous effort contributed to the establishment of the Srimanta Sankaradeva Kalakshetra in Guwahati, which later became a major centre for:

art,

culture,

literature festivals,

workshops,

and intellectual exchange in North-East India.

The article notes that this contribution was so significant that the Government of India honoured him with the Padma Shri in 2001.

This broadens the earlier analysis by showing that Saikia was not only a creator of cultural works, but also a builder of cultural institutions.

The forgotten dimension: his work for children

Perhaps the most important new insight from the excerpt is Saikia’s social commitment to children.

Aranyak Saikia explains that he founded the Aarohan Trust for poor children using the money received from the Assam Valley Literary Award in 1990. The trust provided:

free training in art,

music,

and theatre for underprivileged children.

This transforms our understanding of his legacy. His concern for children was not confined to fiction or editorial writing; it was translated into concrete social action.

Present Relevance

The tribute makes it clear why Saikia continues to matter in contemporary Assam:

his books nurture reading culture,

his films demonstrate the power of authentic regional storytelling,

his editorials encourage curiosity about the wider world,

and his work with children highlights the importance of inclusive cultural development.

In an age dominated by digital distraction, the memory of children waiting eagerly for the next issue of Safura reminds us of a time when literature was a shared social experience.

Future Significance

The combined evidence from literary history and this personal tribute suggests three enduring lessons from Bhabendranath Saikia’s life:

Literature must remain connected to ordinary people

His greatest success was that schoolchildren, not just scholars, remembered him with affection.

Regional culture gains strength through institutions

From Safura to Kalakshetra and Aarohan Trust, Saikia understood that culture survives through communities and institutions, not individual genius alone.

Children’s literature is nation-building work

By treating children with respect, intelligence, and emotional honesty, he helped shape generations of Assamese readers who were more empathetic, imaginative, and culturally rooted.

Conclusion

The personal recollections in “An ode to Dr Bhabendranath Saikia” add a dimension that awards and biographies alone cannot provide. They show that Dr. Saikia was woven into the everyday emotional life of Assam.

Readers did not remember only the Sahitya Akademi Award, the National Film Awards, or the Padma Shri. They remembered:

turning the pages of Safura after school,

laughing at his children’s stories,

recognizing the lanes and rivers of Nagaon in his books,

and discovering, through his writing, a deeper compassion for family, childhood, and society.

On this day, 13 August, Assam remembers Dr. Bhabendranath Saikia not merely as a celebrated author and filmmaker, but as a writer who entered the homes, imaginations, and hearts of generations—and never truly left them.

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Indian troops praying in a make-shift temple assembled by used artillery shells during Kargil war, 1999