After Bharat Ratna Dr Bhupen Hazarika, former Asam Sahitya Sabha president Dr Nagen Saikia’s bronze statue was unveiled in upper Assam’s Dibrugarh on Wednesday.
This was for the second time in Assam that a statue of a living noted personality’s bronze statue was unveiled at Children’s park in Dibrugarh.
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Many well-known persons from the field of literature were present during the unveiling of the statue.
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Dr Saikia was born in 1939 at Hatiakhowa in Assam’s Golaghat district to Umaram Saikia and Hemaprabha Saikia.
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Dr Nagen Saikia was formerly a Professor in the Assamese Department at Dibrugarh University.
He was the editor of Natun Dainik, an Assamese daily in 2003 and edited another Assamese daily Amar Asom in 2004-06.
He was also a member of the Rajya Sabha from 18861992 and was the vice-chairman of the Upper House from 1990-1992.
Saikia has published a number of literary essays, short stories, novels, books and articles.
He was conferred with the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1997 for his short stories collection ‘Andharat Nizara Mukh’.
He served as the general secretary of Asam Sahitya Sabha for two terms – 1973-1976 and 1980-1985.
Dr Saikia became the president of Asam Sahitya Sabha in 1997.
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He was awarded the Assam Valley Literary Award, 2007 for total literary contribution.
In 2016, Dibrugarh University honoured him with D.Litt.
Dr Saikia was also honoured by the Mohan Chandra Sahitya Sabha in 1970 for his ‘Chinta Aru Charcha’.
He was conferred the Sahitya Akademi Fellowship, the highest honour conferred by the Sahitya Akademi on the most distinguished Indian writers.