Hajong Tribe of North East India: Society & Culture

Principal Bhabananda Deka was the first Assamese economist-litterateur to initiate Assam-specific study and research of local economy and other social aspects. Apart from authoring total one hundred fifteen books, he wrote in famous literary journals like Awahon, Ramdhenu, Amar Protinidhi, Manideep, Natun Asomiya, Asam Bami, Dainik Asam etc right from mid-1950s. Just before his death on 4 Dec 2006 he finished English prose-translation of timeless Assamese classic 'Kirtan Ghosa' of Srimanta Sankardev. During his Delhi stint as senior bureaucrat, he played a pivotal role in setting up Assamese Departments in UPSC and Delhi University during 1968-69. He was instrumental in bringing Hollywood personalities to Guwahati in 1995 and subsequent production of first one hour documentary film on life and works of Srimanta Sankardev in 1996. Because of his untiring efforts, this film was screened in the USA, Canada and other countries, and preserved in the National Museum of Switzerland. In recognition of his pioneering role as economist his death anniversary is observed every year as 'Artha Divas' or Day of Economics. ---The Sentinel, 4 December 2014