Suchibrata Roychoudhury
| Suchibrata Roychoudhury | |
|---|---|
| Native name | শুচিব্রতা ৰায়চৌধুৰী |
| Born | September 1, 1929 Guwahati, Assam, India |
| 💀Died | 3 December 2009 (aged 80) Guwahati, Assam, India3 December 2009 (aged 80) |
| 💼 Occupation | Government Servant, Writer, Poet |
| 📆 Years active | 1942–2003 |
| 👴 👵 Parents |
|
| 👪 Relatives | Kalicharan Choudhury (maternal Grandfather), Bhabagiri Roychoudhury(sibling), Nitibrata Roychoudhury(sibling) Yugabrata Roychoudhury (sibling) |
| 🏅 Awards | Sahitya Akademi Award |
Suchibrata Roychoudhury (Assamese: শুচিব্রতা ৰায়চৌধুৰী; 1 September 1929 – 03 December 2009[1]) was an Assamese litterateur and poet, and the first female Assam Civil Services officer.[2] She received the Sahitya Akademi Translation Prizes in 2001[3] for translating Suvira Jaiswal’s The Origin and Development of Vaishnavism in India. A noted social worker, she founded the Ambikagiri Memorial Trust[4] amongst many other institutions. She's also often referred to by the honorific Dinabandhavi ("friend of the poor").[5][6]
Early Life and Education[edit]
Suchibrata was born on 1 September, 1929 in Panbazar, Guwahati to freedom fighter and revolutionary poet Ambikagiri Roychoudhury and Kaushalya Devi.[7] Ambikagiri (better known in Assam with the honorific Axom Kersari - The Lion of Assam), is reported to have had an immense impact in the life of his daughter.[8] Suchibrata was the eldest of four siblings — Bhabagiri, Nitibrata and Yugabrata.[9]
From an early age, she was engaged in writing songs, stories, poems and articles. In class V, she published her first hand-written magazine ‘Bonti’ along with her friend Kamala Das.[9] She wrote a poem ‘Sannyasi’ in the same magazine on Mahatma Gandhi. She started singing Borgeet since she was in class IV.
Suchibrata Roychoudhury began school at the Balika Primary School in Panbazaar, Guwahati. From class IV onwards, she continued her high school studies at Panbazar Girl’s High School and completed her matriculation (class 10) in 1945. She also received the ‘Pratibha Devi Award’ and ‘Narayani Handique Award’ for Science in the same year.
In the year 1947, she completed her Intermediate Examination (class 12) from Handique Girl’s College securing the first position in Assam amongst women. She graduated from the same college in 1949 and enrolled herself for further studies in the Department of Economics, Gauhati University.
Suchibrata is reported to have wanted to study Journalism.[9] However, she did not continue her studies, and instead began supporting her family financially by tutoring, writing plays and singing Borgeet for the All India Radio. She started a career as a teacher in the Tarini Charan Girl’s School in 1951.
Career[edit]
By 1954, Suchibrata had joined the Assam Civil Service as a civil servant.
- 1953: Appeared the Assam Civil Service Examination (ACSE).[1]
- 1954: Deputy Magistrate of the Gauhati Court on February 15 1954,[10] and then posted in different parts of Assam.[1]
- 1970: Deputy Director of Panchayat Department, Shillong.[1]
- 1973: Chief Executive Officer of Khadi and Gramodyog Board.[1]
- 1976: Sub-Divisional Commissioner of Gauhati Division.[1]
- 1977-83: Secretary of District Gazetteer.[11] She was once again posted as the Chief Executive Officer of Khadi and Gramodyog Board in Guwahati.[1]
- 1983: Deputy Director of Education Department, Assam Secretariat.[1]
- 1986: Director of Social Welfare Department.[1]
- 1989: Retired as an officer of Revenue Department on 31st August 1989.[1]
Bibliography[edit]
Suchibrata’s literary works generally deal with themes of patriotism and social evils.[12] Some of her literary works are:
Plays[edit]
- Kun Bate - Her first play was translated when she was in school. The play was later published by her father, narrated on radio and performed by Arya Natya Samaj and the Handique Girls College .
- Yugar Dabi
- Garima
- Troyee
Translations[edit]
Suchibrata translated many books and plays into Assamese.
- ‘Mahmud of Ghazni’, a historical biography, from English to Assamese under the Indian Council of Historical Research
- ‘The Moon is Down ’ by John Steinback into Assamese with the title ‘Beli Lohiale’
- ‘The Moon and Sixpence ’, a collection of short stories by Somerset Maugham
- ‘The Serpent and the Rope ’ by Raja Rao (2005), as Jivanatit, published by Sahitya Akademi
- ‘The Cherry Orchard ’ of Anton Chekov (2005), published by Lawyer’s Book Stall
- ‘Dangerous Corner ’ of J.B Priestly into Assamese as ‘Bipad Seema’ (1994)
- A collection of Short Stories by O. Henry (1999)
- ‘The Origin and Development of Vaishnavism in India’ by Suvira Jaiswal (1999)
Short Stories[edit]
- Saptaparna (1960)
- Sonali Pera (1956)
- Budhiyok Kun (1991-98)
Novels[edit]
- Sundar Desh (1960)
- Bah Maroli (1953-54)
- Kamonar Jui Jolil Jetiya (1954)
Collection of Poems and Songs[edit]
- Mathu Katha (1988)
- Tumi Aru Moi (1950)
- Hahakarar Gaan (1995)
- Suhuri (1996)
- Gunjan (1996)
- Spandan
Other Works[edit]
- Jeeban Premor Atandra Anal (2000)
- Agneepath (2010) a biography of her father, Ambikagiri Roychoudhury
- Aain Aru Adalat (2006)
- Sahitya Manjari
- Anubhuti
- Ahuti
- Chetanar Chinta (1999), a compilation of editorials of the magazine ‘Chetana’. This was published by the Assam Sahitya Sabha.
Suchibrata's works are signed by her first name only. Her biography reports[9] that this is because she believed that a person’s name should be their only identity, not by their last name (in Assam, as in most of India, the last name indicates community, caste and creed)
Political Work[edit]
Suchibrata Roychoudhury believed in the Gandhian philosophy. During the 1942 Indian Independence movement, she was guided by her maternal grandfather Kalicharan Choudhury to redistribute copies of news bulletins and literature from the Indian National Army to villagers to spread awareness on the freedom movement. She also taught the villagers how to spin, as an act of civil disobedience to the British.
In college, she founded the Students’ Union in Handique Girls’ College and was elected its General Secretary.
In her later years, from 2006 till her death in 2009, Suchibrata and other members of the civil society attempted to negotiate a settlement between the Indian Government and the separatist outfit ULFA.[13][14]
Social Work[edit]
Suchibrata set up many institutions throughout her life, which earner her the honirific Dinabandhavi ("friend of the poor").[5][6]
- In 1958, she established an Assamese medium pre-primary school for the Harijan at her own residence in Dhubri, Assam. She taught the students herself.
- In 1962, established the Pub Guwahati Mahila Samovay Samiti, that encouraged women entrepreneurship.
- In 1968, established a Working Women’s Hostel for the economically weaker section at Narengi under the aegis of a Socio-cultural organisation ‘Yuva Niwas Sanstha’ on a non-profit.
- In 1975, she became the founder president of the Assam Lekhika Parishad.[15]
- In 1977, established ‘Kanya Mahavidyalaya’ a girl’s college in Geetnagar, Guwahati.
- In 1980, founded ‘Ankur Vidyapeeth’ a Middle English (ME) School in Narengi, Guwahati, Assam managed by the ‘Yuva Niwas Sanstha’.
- In 1986, under the aegis of Association for Social Health in India (Assam Chapter), she established a home for the Destitute women and their children ‘Nirmal Ashray’. The objective was to support the deprived women and help them rehabilitate through vocational training programmes for these women during their stay in the home.
- In 1988, in the memory of her father Ambikagiri Roychoudhury, she founded the ‘Ambikagiri Memorial Trust’ to intiate social welfare activities and propagate her father’s ideology. She donated all her personal property and income to this Trust.[4]
- In 2000, she started ‘Navajivan’, again an unit of ASHI (Association for Social Health in India, Assam Chapter), a rehabilitation centre for the alcohol and drug addicts and initiated campaigns against drugs and alcohol abuse.[16]
- In 2003, she established an old age home, the first in Assam, ‘Aamar Ghar’.[17]
Suchibrata was also associated with many Trusts & Associations:
- Member of the ‘Kasturba Gandhi National Memorial Trust Assam Branch’
- General Secretary of the Assam Seva Samity
- President of the Gram Swaraj Sevashram
- Treasurer of the Gandhi Smarak Nidhi
- Convenor of the Assam Mitra Samaj
- President of the Assam Sarvodaya Society
- President of the ‘Indian Social Health Organization Assam Branch (ASHI)”
Awards & Recognitions[edit]
Suchibrata Roychoudhury received several awards and honours during her lifetime.
- 1992: Honoured by the North American Assamese Society for her selfless service to the Assamese society
- 2001: Sahitya Akademi Award for translating S. Jaiswal’s ‘The Origin and Development of Vaishnavism in India’.
- 2002: Bir Bala Kanaklata Award by The Bharatiya Dalit Sahitya Akademi (Assam Branch) at the second Dalit writer’s conference in Guwahati.
- 2002: Prabina Saikia Award
- 2008: Soti Joymoti Award by The Soti Joymoti Trust
- 2009: Upendra Nath Dutta Memorial Award
See Also[edit]
References[edit]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9 "Suchibrata Raichoudhury no more". The Sentinel (Guwahati). 2 December 2009. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "Who was the First Female ACS of Assam?". Assam Info. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "Sahitya Akademi Samman Suchi". Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ 4.0 4.1 "About: Ambikagiri Memorial Trust Society". Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Glowing tributes paid to Suchibrata Roychoudhury". The Assam Tribune Online. Retrieved 2020-12-02.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Need for more old-age homes underlined". The Assam Tribune. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ Rehman, Teresa (27 October 2003). "Breaking free from fetters- PERSONALITY". Telegraph India. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ Baruah, Jyotshna; Adhikary, Gajendra. "Ambikagiri Roy Chowdhury and the revolutionary movement in the Brahmaputra valley" (PDF). Gauhati University Department of History (Thesis) – via INFLIBNET Centre.
|chapter=ignored (help) - ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 Borah, Dr. Jayashree. Agnisnata (in Assamese). Guwahati: Aalibaat Publication.CS1 maint: Unrecognized language (link) Search this book on
- ↑ All India Civil List. Published under the authority of the Government of India by the Associated Advertisers & Printers. 1 July 1968. Search this book on
- ↑ Assam (India) (1991). Assam District Gazetteers: Cachar district. Government of Assam. Search this book on
- ↑ Contemporary Indian Literature: A Symposium. Sahitya Akademi. 1968. Search this book on
- ↑ Mahanta, Nani Gopal (2013-04-11). Confronting the State: ULFA's Quest for Sovereignty. SAGE Publications India. ISBN 978-81-321-1327-0. Search this book on
- ↑ "Indira Goswami makes fresh attempt at brokering peace". The Hindu. 2007-06-29. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2020-12-02.
- ↑ Dutta, Nandana. Communities of Women in Assam: Being, doing and thinking together. Routledge. p. 201. ISBN 978-1-315-65765-3. Search this book on
- ↑ Das, Anindita (1 January 2013). "A new lease of life". The Thumb Print – A magazine from the East. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ "Amar Ghor:Dream of Suchibrata Roy Choudhury A lifelong social worker". Unknown parameter
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