Lakshmi Nandan Bora

Lakshmi Nandan Bora (15 June 1932 – 3 June 2021) was an Indian novelist and short story writer in the Assamese language, known for over 60 books he has authored, including award winning novels, Patal Bhairavi and Kayakalpa.

Lakshmi Nandan Bora was born on 15 June 1932 at Hatichung of Kudijah village, a small hamlet in Nagaon district in the Northeast Indian state of Assam to Phuleswar Bora and Phuleswari as the youngest of their five children.

His parents died while he was in his teens and he was brought up by his eldest brother, Kamal Chandra Bora.

He did his schooling at Nagaon High School, graduated in Physics (BSc) from Cotton College State University, Guwahati and secured his master's degree (MSc) from Presidency College, Kolkata.

He pursued doctoral studies in meteorology at Andhra University from where he secured a PhD, the first person to be awarded a doctoral degree in meteorology by the university.

Bora wrote his first short story, Bhaona, in 1954, which was published in Assamese magazine, Ramdhenu.

His first book, Dristirupa was published in 1958 and the next one, Nishar Purabhi in 1962.

Bora married Madhuri in 1961 and the couple has one daughter Seuji and two sons Tridib Nandan and Swaroop Nandan.

The family lives in Ganeshguri, a satellite town of Guwahati, Assam.

Seuji Bora Neog is a Professor of Genetics and Plantbreeding at Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat, Tridib Nandan Bora is a Senior State Government Official while the youngest son Swaroop Nandan is a Professor of Mathematics at Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati.

Lakshmi Nandan Borah died on 3 June 2021 at the age of 88.

He published his first novel, Gonga Silonir Pakhi, in 1963, which is reported to have earned critical acclaim, has been translated into 11 languages and was made into a film, under the same name, by Padum Baruah in 1976.

Two more novels, Matit Meghar Chaan (1970) and Bishesh Eraati (1979) and a short story anthology, Sehi Anuraga (1983) followed before he published his novel, Patal Bhairavi in 1986 which won the Sahitya Academy Award in 1988.

His novel, Akou Saraighat, written during this time and published in 1980, reflects his political leanings to a certain measure.

The succeeding years saw him active in the political milieu of Assam and was arrested once, in 1981, under the National Security Act.

Two novels were published next, Kal Dingare Pal in 1988 and Matsya Kanya in 1995 followed by Preyashi (1996 - short story anthology), Jaa Keri Naahike Upaam and Sehi Gunanidhi (1997 - novel), the latter two inspired by the lives of Sankardev and his disciple, Madhavdev, renowned Assamese saint-scholars.

Bora received the Sahitya Academy Award in 1988 for his novel, Patal Bhairavi and the Assam Valley Literary Award in 2004.

For most of his career he worked at Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat as a faculty member and stayed with the institution till his retirement as a professor and the head of the department of physics and agrometeorology in 1992.

He has also served as a visiting professor at the Johannes Gutenberg University for two terms.

He also founded a weekly, Rangpur, and stayed as its editor till 1996 when he resigned from the post, reportedly due to ideological differences with the owner of the publication.

He has served as the president of Assam Sahitya Sabha (1996–97) and as a member of the Planning Commission of Assam.

He has also been the chairman of the Assam Pollution Control Board during the period 1997 - 2003 and served as the editor of Goriyoshi, an Assamese monthly literary magazine.

Some of the selected publications of Bora are:

In 2008, he published Kayakalpa, which won the Saraswati Samman from K. K. Birla Foundation.

The work has since been translated into 22 Indian languages as well as into English by Biman Arandhara.

Lakshmi Nandan Bora has written a number of plays and books on agriculture and environment, taking his publications to a total of 60 books, composed of twenty nine novels and twenty six short story anthologies.

His short stories, 75 selected ones, have been compiled under the name, Lakshminandan Borar Charita Dasakar Galpa Samagra.

His published autobiography Kal Balukat Khoj was also serialized in the Assamese fortnightly, Prantik.

His other current projects are two books, one on Hem Chandra Baruah, renowned lexicographer and social reformer and the other, on Lakshminath Bezbaroa, a known Assamese literary figure.

His novel, Kayakalpa fetched him the Saraswati Samman instituted by the K. K. Birla Foundation in 2008 and in 2012, Assam Publication Board honoured him with the Lifetime Achievement Award.

A recipient of Sahitya Academy Award and Saraswati Samman, Bora was honoured by the Government of India in 2015 with Padma Shri, the fourth highest Indian civilian award.

He died on 3 June 2021 from complications caused by COVID-19.

The Government of India included him for the Republic Day honours list, in 2015, for the civilian honour of Padma Shri.