Anima Dutta (Nee Bharali) is a familiar name among
contemporary writers in Assamese. She has enriched Modern
Assamese literature by her lifetime contribution as poet,
short-story writer and writer of miscellaneous prose. She has
established herself as an outstanding story writer in the
pages of the Assamese monthly magazine �Manideep� of the
sixties. After her marriage she came to be known as Anima
Dutta and later as Dr. Anima Dutta. Shy of publicity she loves
to devote herself solely to creative writing. She is an
introspective writer by nature. People coining close to her
are charmed by her sweet and soft speech and pleasing
behavior. Love for the beauty of nature shaped her mind in her
childhood and it is still to be found in her person
not-withstanding the blows she may have suffered in life from
time to time.
It is said that one is born as a human being after having
earned the merit of several births as a living thing. All men
may not acquire learning and among learned men only a very few
are form with a poetical talent. If it is rare to find a man
with poetical talent, it is rarer still to find one who has
established himself as a poet, Anima Dutta has achieved all
these things. She can be called blessed. Her life as a
creative writer is indeed praiseworthy. It is worthwhile to
make an assessment of the writer�s life along with her
lifelong contribution to literature.
Anima Bharali was born to the illustrious Bharali family of
Sivasagar on January 4, 1938. Her father Sahajananda Bharali
was a distinguished citizen of that town. A talented student
he went to Cotton College for higher studies, but having got
himself involved in the Non-cooperation Movement of Gandhiji
he could not complete his higher education. Later on he
established himself as a very successful businessman. He was
also the chairman of Sivasagar Municipality for some time and
kept himself busy with various welfare work of the town. He
was also a famous stage actor. He wrote a historical account
of the Sivasagar Dramatic Society which was published in the
year 1977. This book covers almost all the activities of the
society from its inception in 1895 to 1977. Several critics
have praised this work as a source book for the study of
dramatic activities and research.
We can, in this context, remind ourselves of Anima Dutta�s
great grandfather, the grandfather of Sahajananda Bharali,
namely, Paramananda Bharali. Anima mentions him with great
pride with sufficient reason. Hem Chandra Barua the renowned
Assamese lexicographer of the nineteenth century in the early
British era has mentioned in his autobiography how he was
greatly helped by Paramananda Bharali in learning English
under Captain Brodic of Sivasagar. Lakshminath Bezbarua has
also referred to Sahajananda Bharali as an expert on the
English language, in his autobiography �Mor Sonwarani� (My
Remeniscences), in the chapter �Matrimukh Darshan� (At the
Sight of My Mother) Bezbaruah�s contemporary Padmanath Gohajn
Barua has described Paramananda Bharali as a wise patriot who
built a bridge between the old and new ways of Assam.
Anima�s mother Jeutara was the fourth daughter of Benudhar
Rajkhowa an eminent civil servant and writer of the Jonaki Age
of Assamese literature. A lady of exceptional beauty and
grace, Jeutara was elected several times as Secretary and
President of Sivasagar Mahila Samity (Women�s Organization)
between 1945 and 1960. She took a leading part in the
celebration of Jaimati Festival on the precincts of Jaydol on
the bank of Jaisagar, often spending from her purse. Love of
learning and devotion to God were some of the special traits
of her character. She raised all her children instilling in
their hearts noble ideals and principles. She inspired them
all to receive higher education. The eldest of her children is
Sailajananda Bharali, former Director of Higher Education,
Anima, the youngest is Professor (Dr.) Anima Dutta.
Her childhood days:
Anima was born on the bank of the beautiful Dikhow river which
flows by the south east boundary of Sivasagar. That end of the
town at that time was very beautiful to look at with all the
bounty of nature. Poet Jatindranath Duara�s father Shyam
Sundar Duara�s family also resided in those parts. The Bharali
family possessed a beautifully laid out compound. Anima Dutta
still remembers the pain of mango trees growing at the
entrance to the compound, with various flowering orchids
hanging from their branches and also the sweet sounds of the
bird�s songs floating from them. She still remembers how along
with other children of the family, she would enjoy rides up
and down the river in the family motor boat in the evenings.
At that time she was barely six or seven years old. Even in
those days she learned to love Nature in all her beauty and
glory and this love of nature helped in shaping her as poet
and short story writer. Erosion of the river Dikhow soon drove
her family from its lovely banks to the busy heart of the
town. Sahajananda Bharali settled down with his family on
Hospital Road where Anima spent the remaining days of her
childhood and adolescence.
Cultural Environment at Home:
Anima had grown up in the healthy and beautiful atmosphere
created by the efforts of writers and artists like Padmadhar
Chaliha, Jatindranath Duara, Parvati Prasad Barua, Phunu Barua
and others. The Calcutta based poet Jatindranath Duara, poet
Padmadhar Chaliha of Phulani (Flower Garden) fame, and Anima�s
close relative, poet and critic Dimbeswar Neog often visited
her Sivasagar home. Kirtinath Sarma Bardoloi, the famous
musician of Jorhat used to be a frequent guest. Among the
famous ladies whom she used to meet at home as guests were
some well known leaders like Chandra Prabha Saikiani, Rani
Sabita Devi of Bijni, Rani Manjula Devi of Sidli to name only
a few. The great socialist leader Jayprakash Narayan stayed
with her family in December 1946 during a town in Assam. Thus
even as a child she enjoyed an inspirational environment at
home. When she passed M.A. in Assamese as a First Class First
of her batch, from Gawahati University, she had the fortune of
being congratulated at home by no less a person than the great
artist Bishnu Rabha.
Her Education:
Anima Dutta had her school education at Phujeswer Girls� High
School of Sivasagar. She had shown promise of academic
excellence from her school days. In 1955 she passed the
Matriculation Examination of Gauhati University in the first
division to earn a merit scholarship. In the same year she was
admitted into the Intermediate Arts class of Handique Girls�
College of Guwahati. In 1957 she passed the Intermediate Arts
Examination of Gauhati University in the first division. From
the same college she had her BA.Honours Degree with a first
class in Assamese. As there was no facility for teaching
Honours Course in any subject in her college, she availed
herself of the facility of attending Assamese Honours classes
started in the building of Old Law College situated on the
eastern bank of Dighali Pukhuri. There she had as her teachers
there celebrated scholars like Dr. Birinchi Kumar Baruah, Dr.
Satyendranath Sarma and Dr. Golok Chandra Goswamj. She
regarded herself a lucky student to have had the opportunity
to learn at their feet. In 1961 she passed her M.A. in
Assamese from Gauhati University with a first class deploring
and earned a gold medal. Even since the establishment of the
university in 1948, she was the first student to have passed
with a first class in the literature group of M.A.in Assamese.
Her Career as a Teacher:
Immediately after passing her M.A. Examination she taught for
a few years in Sivasagar College and Sivasagar Girls� College.
On January 7 of 1966 she joined the Assamese Department of
Gauhati University as a lecturer. I have learned from her
students that she taught and discussed the literary work of
the two great writers Sankardeva and Madhavadeva in the most
lucid but systematic manner. Her exhaustive study of the
writings of these two authors as well as her teaching of the
same greatly helped her in her research work. In 1985 she
received her Ph.D. degree for her research work, �Lakshminath
Bezbarua His Contribution to the Study of Religion and
philosophy�. In the same year she was appointed Reader in the
Department of Assamese in Gauhati University. In the month of
September, 1996 she was appointed Professor of the same
department. She has been serving since then in the same
capacity. She has earned a name as a successful and popular
teacher among her students.
Her Conjugal Life:
In the year 1967, a year after her appointment in Gauhati
University, she was married to Hirendra Nath Dutta, Lecturer
(later Professor) in the Department of English of the same
university. Professor Dutta is a renowned Assamese poet and
critic. They have two sons - Priyankar and Rupankar. With
their two sons and their elder daughter-in-law Mala, it is a
happy family. Anima and Hiren Dutta are both serious writers
in Assamese. Though always busy with her pen, Anima Dutta is a
good housewife and excellent cook with a keen eye on new
recipe which she carefully copies down in her kitchen note
book. She also possesses a sweet voice. In her childhood she
received music lessons at home from a private tutor. As a
student of Handique Girls� College she once secured the first
position in Borgeet competition.
Her Literary Life:
Professor Dr. Anima Dutta of today was then a teenager, a
student of class VI or VII. The joy of watching the beauty of
nature in the backyard of her home the two-storied wooden
bungalow built by her ancestors on the bank of the Dikhow and
the joy brought to her heart by the trips up and down the
river, created in her heart a poet rich in imagination and
feelings, which found expression in a few stealthily composed
poems and stories. Loving encouragement and opportunities
provided by her family and others gave her courage. While she
was in class VIII, �Husari of Mantu and others�, a short story
by her was first published in �Mau Kunwari� the childrens�
section of the Assamese daily, Natun Asomiya. There after many
other stories came to be published under the section.
Side by side with Assamese, she also ventured writing in
English as well. She found an atmosphere of learning English
at home. She took advantage of the same and was soon able to
express herself fluent in English. In the Children�s League -
a children�s column of the Assam Tribune - a few poems and
essays were published. Four poems so published were �The Glory
of Rose�, �To a Rose�, �To a Water lily�, �If I were not
Myself� and �My Beloved India�, besides a number of essays.
While she was in class X, she received the first prize in an
essay competition held on the subject, �The Book I love Best�.
Her essay was written on the Kirtan Ghosa.
As she came to Guwahati for her higher education, she got a
wider field for her literary activities. She regularly wrote
short stories in the magazine section of Natun Asomiya and the
Ladies Corner of Asom Bani. In 1959 she was elected secretary
to the literary section of the Students� Union of Handique
Girls� College and she became editor of the college magazine
for the same year. Though fewer in number than her short
stories she wrote some good poetry as well. In the year 1959,
she secured the first prize for her poem �Senehi Asom Mor� (My
Dear Assam) in the literary contest held by Handique Girls�
College.
Free rendering of a few stanzas of the poem is given below:
I Dear Assam, you are the very Elysian garden of
Nature, full of all pleasant odors and charming beauty, from
whose lap had sprung flowery and glorious history.
Ii As the coming springtime thrills the greenery of
your places, Nature happily causes her embroidered flowery
chaddar to flutter in the wind.
III The thorny shrub of Keteki throws open her lovely
flowers to fill the air with fragrance; and the sweet smell of
the light hearted Tagar flower fills the heart of humans with
bliss.
Iv Mother Assam, oh my Goddess of plenty, endowed
with all auspicious signs, you are the very blissful garden of
Nature, your beauty since ages past has been beyond
comparison. My dearest Mother Assam, you are indeed very
beautiful.
In the sixties five poems written by �Anima Dutta were
published in Manideep, a literary magazine edited by Dr.
Mahendra Bora.
While pursuing her post graduate studies she stayed in the
girls� hostel of Gauhati University where she got herself
acquainted with a woman story writer. Anima soon got friendly
with her and there grew a sort of literary competitions
between them for short story writing. This new woman fiction
writer was none other than Nilima Sarma, who is now the Head
of the Department of Philosophy of Gauhati University. As a
post graduate student Anima Dutta wrote many short stories for
�Manideep� which established her as an eminent short story
writer. She also wrote stories for other journals like Amar
Pratinidhi, Himachal, Nilachal, Uruli, Ramdhenu, two annual
publications of Gauhati University Students� Journal and in
all the annual volumes of The Short Stories of the year
published by Munindra Narayan Dutta Barua.
After she had begun her research work under Gauhati
University, she could not spare much time for short stories
and other creative writings. She had started studying and
teaching the works of the two great Assamese Vaishnava
Savants, Sankardeva and Madhavdeva, besides writing articles
on them in both Assamese and English. Notwithstanding her busy
research schedule, she continued writing short stories. She
has more than one hundred and fifty stories to her credit.
Some of her selected short stories were published in two
volumes - �Beliphular Sapon� (The Dream of Sunflower) in 1963
and �Kanchanjangha� in 1991. The second volume was published
by the Dibrugarh based booksellers and publishers Students�
Emporium. In 1996, she was presented the Basant Devi Memorial
Award of Assam Sahitya Sabha in its Bokakhat session and gave
her literary prominence as well as glory.
The volume Kanchanjangha includes some of Anima Dutta�s
choicest short stories composed between the sixties and
eighties of the last century. The central figures in ten among
the eleven short stories in that selection are strong willed
women, through whose characters the writer depicts the
multi-faced emotions of the women�s heart. In �Avagahan� we
have a glimpse of the greatness of a woman�s heart and also
her tender feelings; in �Bisanna Bisnai� the writer brings out
problems arising out of love; in �Uttaran� we see the conflict
arising out of love; in �Swarthapar� the writer depicts
selfishness. �Nijaswa� presents a picture of the helpless
distress of a woman caused by suspicion. In �Jivanar Dinbor�
we see the picture of a feeling of loneliness caused by family
disconnect. Anima Dutta�s women characters are all strong
willed souls who refuse to remain as playthings of man.
All the stories in the collection Kanchanjangha seem to
present an intense feeling of sadness mixed with the
delighting sweetness of the autumn moonlight. It is a sadness
arising from love, alienation caused by generation gap and
unpleasant memory. These stories also reflect certain romantic
inclinations. Based upon the soft background of tender
feelings and emotions, the stories often attempt to poetically
present an intense feeling of a certain moments use of
poetical lives in such stories often heightens the literary
effect.
The first story of the volume Kanchanjangha is �Avagahan�
which presents an educated middle aged foreign lady who has
fallen in love with Assam, and it describes her loving
motherly care beloved on a sickly orphan child. The short
story �Uttaran� can be called a great achievement of writer
who describes the emotion of first love growing in the heart
of an adolescent girl, and her guilt complex and the mental
conflict created by it, and her determination to free herself
from distressing memory of her failed love. Here is also an
attempt to sublimate her earthly, physical love to a heavenly
of spiritual one. In the story �Kanchanjangha� bearing the
same title to the volume, the author seeks to present the
title character as a woman whose heart is as tall and pure as
Mount Kanchanjangha. In the story �Anekaya Jibanar Dinbor�,
the author presents the feeling of loneliness of an educated
middle aged woman arising out of her futile attempt to
reconcile herself with the changed way of life of her grown up
children and conflict growing out of that. The woman who once
loved to write poems cannot concept the materialism of her
busy bureaucrat husband and the ultramodern ways of her
children, but is trying her best to get adjusted to their
ways. The conflict arising out of that is beautifully
described. Thus the feeling of loneliness suffered by all
women at an age of their life is painted for all time to come.
As Anima Dutta climbs down from her romantic heights she gives
us many scholarly articles. Whether from a sense of necessity
felt by her or under pressure from outside, she has authored
many research papers and scholarly treaties. From the time she
joined Gauhati University as a teacher, she has busied herself
by studying and teaching the work of both Sankardeva and
Madhavadeva. Therefore she has written most of her essays on
the literature left behind by these two great Vaishnava
savants. Her articles have been published on many anthologies.
Her published scholarly treatises include:
(i) Assam Vaishnavism, published in 1989, is a scholarly work
on the religion and philosophy of Sankardeva and is part of
her research thesis - Lakshminath Bezbarua : His Contribution
to the Study of Religion and Philosophy.
(ii) Her second treatise, �Asomor Uaishnava Sahitya Aru
Darshan�, published in 1995 contains nine articles. All
articles except �Madhava Devar Namghosat Rahasyavad�
(Mysticism in namghosa) have been published in different
journals. In all the other articles except the one titled
�Sankardevar Darshan�.
Kavyat Vrindavanar Prakriti� (Nature in Vrindabana) she has
tried to assert that the philosophical basis of Sankardeva�s
Ekasarana Nam Dharma is Adaitya Vedanta and also to come to
the conclusion that Nama Dharma is the best form of religion,
by citing copiously from the writings of Sankardeva and
Madhavadeva.
Mahapurusa Sankardeva has given the Assamese people a simple
religion based on the worship of one God that is Vishnu
identified with Sri Krishna, simply by uttering His name and
lestening to discussion on His greatness and listening to His
praise. It has not yet been settled whether the religious
philosophy of Sankardeva is Advaiavad or Bishistadvaitavad.
The debate is still going on. Whatever be the outcome, if we
judge her articles on their intrinsic values, we will find
them each presenting the depth of her study, her capacity for
keen and intense analysis methodical arguments and her lucid
expression.
Besides her research work in Assamese, she has a number of
books in English to her credit. A few of these are stated
below.
1. Folk Songs of Assam
2. Namghosa: Literary Expression of Bhakti-Dharma
3. Lakshminath Bezbaruah�s Studies of Upanisad
4. A Teller of Tales of Tiny tots
5. Lakshrninath Bezbaruah�s Exposition of Bhakti and
Nam-Dharma.
6. Ideals of Sankardeva as interpreted by Lakshminath
Bezbarua.
7. Vaishnavism: A Living Religion of India
8. Lakshrninath Bezbarua, The Exponant of Assam Vaishnavism.
Her husband Professor is a renowned poet and outstanding
critic and as such the couple can he called complementary to
each other. After writing out an article or a poem he asks
Anima Dutta to prepare a copy of the same. Being the first
person to read his compositions she suggests corrections or
alternation here and there if she thinks that necessary for a
better effect. Mrs. Dutta also seeks her husband�s advice in
order to make her expressions more effective. He goes through
her English articles before they get ready for the print. But
in so far as her short stories are concerned she always
remains in her own universe. Professor Dutta gets to read them
after they have been published.
Anima Dutta edited the 1996 number of Anwexon, the annual
research journal of the teachers of Guwahati University. I
pray to God to give her a long life enabling her to enrich
Assamese literature with many more valuable articles and
ongoing short stories.
