One of
the worth mentioning amongst the very few writers of Assam during the 2nd
decade of the 20th century is Shudha Baruah. Her name can
specially be mentioned in the domain of art, culture and literature. She
claims the special position in the arena of literature for her worthwhile
creative contribution to the same for which she had been praised as "your
creative talent is wrought in your works in the backward social setting
before sixth decade earlier from now and comparatively its value was far
formidable to be considered" at the 8th felicitation program of
�Sodou Axom Somaroh Samity held at Tinsukia.
Shudha Baruah was born on 10th September
1907 at Sivsagar on the bank of Dikhou River. She was the great
granddaughter of Late Jaduram Baruah, the first Assamese compiler of
Assamese dictionary, and the daughter of Late Radhika Prasad Baruah, Late
Himli Baruah, and the famous poet who was known as �Binani�. She was the
predecessor of poet philosopher late Bhagabati Prasad Baruah who met his
sudden death and Parbati Prasad Baruah the poet. According to Historian
Benudhar Sarmah, historian, she was born in a family that could be termed
appropriately as the �fertile soil of Assamese language and literature�.
It was in such a culturally rich family where she gradually developed her
literary creativity with her physical changes on the bank of river Dikhou.
She started her early education in Sivsagar in Fuleswari School, the newly
started school there. She started her early education under the Radhika
Nath Sarmah in real sense. Unfortunately she had to quit from her
schooling for her father�s sudden demise. But her vein filled with
devotion towards language and literature which could be marked in her
unceasing persuasion of literary practice. Her artistic mind was replete
with in-bounding rejoice when she spent her childhood days on the bank of
Dikhou river along with her filled pitcher and amidst the natural bounty
jazzed with the melodious tune of birds� songs and the fascinating beauty
of little, and while and blue flowers. Late Lakhikanta Baruah, poet, who
used to tell her various fairy tales and such other stories of birds and
flowers which helped her dreaming and crating heavenly feeling of the
earth, was her childhood friend to roam around the river banks of Dikhou
during her childhood days. Her artistic creativity in writing stirred to
flow from her pen at the early stage of life, just as the stepped into the
adolescence period. She was inspired in literary practice especially by
her mother late Himli Baruah and wise predecessors like late Bhagabati
Prasad Baruah and late Parbati Prasad Baruah. In this cultured family
background her literary thoughts started to pour from her pen. Then she
began another literary tour with the publication of hand written magazine
which was edited both by her younger brother Moksha Baruah and her mother
for which she was motivated by her predecessors, it was prepared at their
home itself. Her mother named the magazine "Gharjeuti" (Enlighten House).
Shudha Baruah could express her literary talent by her regular creative
productions in the same, and most of the poems of late Parbati Baruah were
published in it. Her excellence in painting got its exposure not only in
her cover page painting but in other paintings in the same which was at
her 17-18. Later her step gradually towards the vast arena of literature
proceeded, and many of her stories were published in �Milan�, the then
mouthpiece of Students� Association (Chatra Sonmilon). She was, for her
writings, called as "Spotless Story Writer" (Nikhut Axpmiya Golpo Lekhika)
by well-known critic Banikanta Kakoti. All her works were collectively
published in the "First Dawn of Life" (Jibonor Prothom Puat) in the form
of a book in 1983. She was well-versed in using direction in her works.
She could paint a vivid picture of social life with limited words and
could reflect every big and tiny aspect of society. Her works could
therefore be called the mirror of the then society of her times which
Goethe said that �a person is merely a reflection of his age�.
She was pleased being brought up in the artistic
environment, to have done everything well. That environment inspired her
to keep herself busy in it and make herself quite adept in the same. This
craft brought her good reputation in various programmers organized in
various places and could make herself popular with knitting handicraft,
weaving. She excelled in knitting putting various flower patterns in
clothes she weaved. This also highlighted her artistic talent in Mrs.
Baruah with her crap-paper-craft work. There appeared some especially in
her paper work too. Someone would have mistaken to see her paper craft
work for lively flowers because they looked as if they were natural. They
were as fresh, lovely alive as a living flower. She could make various
decorating items out of wax, could make many others of jute fiber which
she presented to the young ones. She was pleased to have them presented
with these items. She was adept in cooking too. She could prepare a very
tasty, healthy recipe within limited items very well and also could please
others with that. She was also expert in preparing handicrafts out of jute
fiber and many such other natural products and for that she often received
invitation to be the judge of the competitions held in various districts
like Sivsagar and Jorhat along with other neighboring districts. She was
one of the active members of the Jorhat Mahila Samiti and kept herself
engaged in many such constructive activities.
"Atitor Madhur Jage" (sweet memories of the past) is
her incomplete prose work. At this old age she has lost her eyesight but
she not lost her spirit of literary creativity.
Her husband late Bidyakanta Baruah, the then lawyer,
the founder president of Jorhat College inspired her a lot in creating new
ideas. She had inclination in music too. Later she practiced music under
her elder brother late Parbati Prasad Baruah and she contributed to
"Fulani" with a song of Padmahar Chaliha. She contributed a new tone into
the same and practiced it for long which she inherited from her
predecessors.
Shudha
Baruah