By: Dr. Ratan Bhattacharjee
A true leader leaves memorable footprints of nobility through constant cerebral exercises or creative activities. The name of Dr. Surjya Kanta Hazarika brings to the mind of every Assamese an image of versatility in creative works and research in printed or visual media. The range of his multitudinous activities was so vast, that he became unknowingly the icon of the Assamese cultural and media world. It was a long journey that he began as a publisher and gradually passes after another glorious milestone of achievement first as editor of Sandhya Batori, Chitra Sangbad, Khel Songbad, and associate editor of ‘Pratidhani’ magazine in which he worked under the guidance of Dr. Bhupen Hazarika, as the editor. With his command of the printed media, he gracefully shifted to TV serials not merely for entertaining the cheap audience. He felt the need for raising the quality of TV productions and committed himself to the mission of being a director of TV serials. He mingled education and entertainment in the TV serials such as Nirmal Bhakat (1993) which ran for 5 episodes in Hindi on Assam History Story by legendary novelist Rajanikanta Bordoloi. His direction in Dhanya Nara Tanu Bhal (2004) was so popular that he had to present 8 episodes in Hindi based on the Legendary Srimanta Sankardeva’s life and activities.
It is interesting to note that he made deep research in preparing these serials and the fidelity to facts was amazing. Tore More Aalokore Jatra (2004) directed by this living legend for TV viewers had 8 episodes in Assamese based on the Life and Activities of Cultural Icon Jyoti Prasad Agarwalla. To work on Jyoti Prasad on a TV screen where people wait for light entertainment, especially in the serials, was a mammoth task. But for the genius, these are challenges all through. In 2005 he edited Maharathi which had 8 episodes in Hindi based on Karna a character of the Mahabharata. Sometimes this literary-minded man focused on the genre of cultural fiction and in Noi Boi Jai his story was based on the fiction of Dr. Lila Gogoi. In this series of 2011, he won the heart of the Assamese people. Even when he comes to the world of academic research he showed his excellence and intellectual calibre. The 523-page book, Dr. Bhupen Hazarikar Geet Samagra edited by Dr. Surjya Kanta Hazarika ran its 3rd edition. Published from Guwahati by S.H. Educational Trust, 2010 which is now available also in Tezpur University Archive for public reading.
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Since his college days, he showed his flair for creative writing and organizing ability. He was born to Chandra Kanta Hazarika and Labanya Hazarika of Majuli on 31st May 1956 in Dibrugarh. He got his academic and literary passions from his father along with his commitment as a social activist. As an organizer, his father was very popular and even today the Chandra Kanta Hazarika Path bears witness to his popularity. He got his primary education in Sri Sri Sankardeva Prathamik Vidyalayaat at the Kadamani village of Dibrugarh. Since his boyhood, he was attracted to the reform activities of Sri Sri Sankardeva. He shifted to Guwahati later for higher education but still chews the cud of memory of his school days in Amolapatty Lower Primary school. Teachers were impressed by his intelligence and he attentively listened to the teachers who told him stories of the great men of Assam. He completed his matriculation from Vivekananda School Digboi and graduated from Kanoi College Dibrugarh. He grew up as a serious student of Assamese culture during his post-graduation from Dibrugarh University.
As a Magazine secretary at Kanoi College, he proved his creative funda. He was so impressed by the multifaceted activities of Srimanta Sankardeva in bringing Renaissance to Assamese thinking that he started profound musing on this great man. Assam was his focus and he did his Ph.D. on Nineteenth Century Publication of Books Related to Assam and he had his debut book in 1976. He was married to an accomplished writer Eva Hazarika from Jorhat who inspired him more and more in academic and creative activities. Every great man behind his greatness is said to have been inspired by a woman. Being herself a writer Eva proved herself to be that woman whose motivation and support even at the cost of her creative funda and passion for journalism helped Dr. Surjyo Kanta rise high in his aspirations. He became a Life member of Asam Sahitya Sabha in 1979.
The vast literary and academic contributions to the cultural and education field of Assam include countless books. Category wise we may tell that his books containing his thoughts are 23 in number. He edited and worked for anthologies and they go to nearly 67 in counting. His edited magazines are five and his edited memoirs are four in number. His published lectures are more than twenty and these lectures betray his profound knowledge of Assam and its cultural heritage. Dr. Hazarika was a lifelong devotee of education and believes in value-based learning. His journalistic passion is inimitable and he wrote more than one hundred well-researched articles for dailies. This shifting from one field of knowledge to the other is amazing for any writer. But Dr. Hazarika was the writer of the writers; he was comfortable with anthologies and the task of editing journals of a high standard. But the constant focus is on Assam and its culture. Probably these brought him recognition from the Government of India. As early as 2008 while Barkha Dutt and Rajdeep Dilip Sardesai won the Padma Shri award for Journalism, Surjya Kanta Hazarika won it for ‘Literature and Education’ along with Dr. Vellayani Arjunan and Mohammad Yousuf Taing whereas Indian-born astronaut Sunita Williams that year got Padma Bhusan for astronautics,
“Palaces are for the little men not for the great men because a great man is humble!” As a human being, his politeness, suave elegance and passionate understanding may justify his magical charisma as a writer, editor, and director as his main task is to mobilize highly intelligent human resources. He never regards any China Wall as invincible. Their firm determination to change the taste of people and to elevate it to a high stage succeeded simply because this constant endeavour finally made him a well-known name in the world of Assamese culture and literature. Today in commercial TV serials or in the publication of anthologies we see the pitiable dilution of values of life. But Dr. Hazarika has shown how Assamese culture can be preserved and nourished in the best possible way. In such hands, intellectuals and thinkers like Dr. Hazarika, the light of communal harmony will glow brighter and the state will get motivation for preserving its melting pot of cultural diversity. He worked to bring happiness to the lives of others as be it by editing an anthology or directing a TV serial and greatness lies not in ruling a people, it lies in being the cause of happiness in their lives. (The author is a trilingual writer cum poet & may be reached at profratanbhatacharjee@gmail.com)
