Journalism doyen Prafulla Govinda Baruah laid to rest with state honours

Guwahati, Dec 15: Under the afternoon sky at Nabagraha crematorium, Guwahati, on Monday, bid a solemn farewell to Prafulla Govinda Baruah, veteran journalist, Chairman Emeritus and Editor of The Assam Tribune, as his final rites were performed with full state honours.

With his passing, the state lost not just a towering figure in journalism, but a steady moral voice that shaped public thought for decades.

Journalists, public figures and ordinary readers mourned a man who did not merely run a newspaper, but moulded the conscience of Assam’s public discourse.

Several dignitaries were present at Nabagraha to pay their respects, including Water Resources Minister Pijush Hazarika, Finance Minister Ajanta Neog and All Assam Students’ Union chief adviser Samujjal Bhattacharyya.

“Not only the media world, but the entire state has suffered Hazarika added, “When I first became a minister, I sought his blessings. Under his leadership, journalists at The Assam Tribune enjoyed a freedom rarely seen elsewhere. He never placed himself above the institution or its people. That self-effacement, that atmotyag, was his greatest virtue.”

For many, Baruah was more than an editor; he was a mentor, a guide and a moral anchor. “AASU has lost a guardian today. Whenever we approached him during times of crisis, he showed us a path and helped resolve our problems,” Bhattacharyya said.

Earlier in the day, scores of people gathered at Baruah’s residence as news of his passing spread across Guwahati. He breathed his last at a private hospital on Sunday at 9.30 pm due to age-related ailments.

Before the last rites, his mortal remains were brought to The Assam Tribune building, the institution he built through decades of tireless work, restraint and principled journalism, allowing colleagues and admirers a final moment of farewell.

Born in Dibrugarh on July 26, 1932, Baruah’s intellectual promise was evident early. After completing his schooling in Dibrugarh, he secured First Division with Letter Marks in two subjects in the matriculation examination from Gauhati University in 1949.

He went on to pass the ISC from Cotton College in 1951 and graduated with Honours in Economics from Presidency College, Calcutta, in 1953. He completed his MA in 1955 and earned a Gold Medal in LLB from Calcutta University in 1957.

Baruah began his newspaper career in 1962 and, in 1964, received a scholarship to study journalism and printing technology at the Thomson Foundation in the United Kingdom.

He took over as Managing Director of The Assam Tribune group in 1966, guiding the institution through decades of political, social and technological change, while fiercely protecting its credibility and independence. 

Last rites performed at Nabagraha

Awarded the Padma Shri for his contribution to journalism, Baruah was widely admired for his quiet integrity and unwavering commitment to public interest.

Tributes poured in from across the country, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma expressing their condolences.

In a heartfelt message, Modi said Baruah would be remembered for his immense contributions to news media and for championing Assam’s progress and cultural identity.

“I express my condolences to his family and admirers. Om Shanti,” the Prime Minister said. During The Assam Tribune’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations in 2014, Modi had famously described the newspaper as “the voice of the people of the region,” remarking that while the people of the Northeast could do without their morning cup of tea, they could not imagine a day without The Assam Tribune.

Beyond the Padma Shri, Baruah received numerous honours for his contributions to journalism, literature, art and culture.

He was felicitated by the Asam Sahitya Sabha, honoured by the Kamala Saikia Trust in memory of slain journalist Kamala Saikia, and received an appreciation citation from the Dr B Borooah Cancer Institute for spreading awareness on cancer control.

As Assam came together in grief, there was also quiet gratitude.

In Prafulla Govinda Baruah, the state lost not just an editor, but a keeper of its conscience; a man whose legacy will endure in every truthful line printed under the masthead he so selflessly nurtured.