Guwahati: The last rites of Pradip Baruah, the founding editor of the renowned Assamese magazine Prantik, were performed at the Navagraha Crematorium here on Thursday. Baruah passed away on Wednesday evening at a private hospital in the city following a cardiac arrest. His daughter, Rashmi Baruah, lit the funeral pyre.
Family members, relatives and a limited number of prominent figures from journalism and literary circles attended the cremation. Noted journalists and writers, including Samudra Gupta Kashyap, Dilip Chandan, Manoj Goswami, Prasanta Rajguru and Mrinal Talukdar, were present to pay their final respects.
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However, the absence of representatives from the state government and leaders of the ruling BJP was noticeable. Despite earlier discussions on according state honours to the veteran journalist, no such arrangements were made. This has drawn quiet criticism from sections of the intellectual community, who expressed concern over what they described as a lack of due recognition for one of Assam’s most respected voices in journalism and literature.
Earlier in the day, a large number of admirers and well-wishers gathered at Baruah’s Chandmari residence on Nabagiri Path to pay homage. His mortal remains were later taken to the Navagraha Crematorium, where AASU chief adviser Samujjal Kumar Bhattacharyya, Congress leader Mira Borthakur and others offered their last tributes.
Pradip Baruah had been at the helm of Prantik, a Guwahati-based Assamese fortnightly, since its inception in 1981. Born on September 3, 1938, in Dibrugarh, he was educated at Don Bosco School, Guwahati, and graduated from the then Cotton College. He is survived by his wife, daughter, son-in-law and three granddaughters.
