Eminent Assamese literary figure Anubhav Tulasi passes away at 67

Guwahati, July 2: Eminent poet, translator, film critic, and academician Anubhav Tulasi is no more. The critically acclaimed Assamese literary figure passed away on Tuesday morning at a private hospital in the city. He was 67 and is survived by his wife, a son, and a daughter. Tulasi had been ailing for the past few days.

Born in Nagaon as Dimbeswar Saikia, Anubhav Tulasi was an alumnus of Gauhati University. He served as a faculty member at SBMS College, Sualkuchi. Over his illustrious career, Tulasi authored several books, including collections of poems, translations, literary criticism, travelogues, film critiques, short stories, and edited volumes.

His outstanding contributions to Assamese literature earned him numerous prestigious accolades, such as the Munin Barkotoki Literary Award (1997), the Senior Fellowship from the Union Ministry of Culture (2000), the Antarlipi Sahitya Bota (2016), Sahitya Jyoti Bota (2017), the Sobhapotir Sataborshiya Sahitya Sanman by Asam Sahitya Sabha (2017), the Padmanath Bidyabinod Smriti Sahitya Puraskar (2019), the Jamiruddin Ahmed Bota by Nalbari Sahitya Sabha (2019), and the Asom Kesari Ambikagiri Raichoudhury Bota by Asam Sahitya Sabha (2020).

Anubhav Tulasi’s poetic works found a special place in academia. His selected poems were included in the postgraduate curriculum of Assamese literature at Gauhati University, Cotton University, and Lakhimpur College. His writings were also featured in publications by renowned institutions such as Oxford University Press, Penguin, North Eastern Hill University, Sahitya Akademi, and the National Book Trust.

A literary ambassador of Assam, Tulasi was invited to several international literary festivals held in Turkey, the USA, Greece, and Bangladesh. His works have been translated into multiple international languages, including German, French, Hungarian, and Uzbek.

His last rites were performed today at the Nabagraha crematorium in the presence of family members, followers, and well-wishers. Condolences poured in from various quarters, including Minister Ranjeet Kumar Dass, Asam Sahitya Sabha, Assam Pradesh Congress Committee, Assam Jatiya Parishad, and the Assam State Committee of AITC, among others.

The Department of English, Gauhati University, also organized a condolence meeting to pay tribute to their distinguished alumnus. Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) president Lurinjyoti Gogoi and general secretary Jagadish Bhuyan, in a joint statement, remarked that the demise of Anubhav Tulasi is an irreparable loss to the State.