Dr. Dwijendra Nath Bhakat
Dr. Dwijendra Nath Bhakat (born 2 February 1954) is a writer, poet and literary critic of Assamese, Rajbangshi and Bengali language. His literary work has been mostly in two fields: 1) Vaishnavite literature and culture and 2) Rajbangshi language, literature and culture.
He worked in Golakganj Chilarai College of Western Assam for more than three decades as Associate Professor and Head of the Assamese Department. He has also worked as a Research Guide of MIL (Modern Indian Language) and Literary Studies departments of Gauhati University. He is currently the president of Koch-Rajbangshi Sahitya Sabha.
His notable works in the field of Vaishnavite literature are SriSri Sankardev Birachita Bargeet, Sri Sankardev-Madhavdev Birachita Bargeet, Kirtan: Ek Samīkṣātmak Ālōcanā, Bhakti Ratnakar Xar and Satrar Samīkṣātmak Itibritta (Poshchim Axom Aaru Uttar Banga). In the year 2009, he received Srimanta Sankardev Gobexona award from Āuniāti Satra of Majuli, Jorhat, Assam for his research thesis titled The Assamese Vaishnavite Satras of North Bengal and Goalpara.
Dr. Dwijendra Nath Bhakat has been working incessantly towards establishing Rajbangshi language on the world map. In his books, Rajbangshi Bhaxa Xahityar Porichoy, Axomor Koch Rajbangshi Janajaati, Rajbangshi Bhasha Proshanga, “Rajbangshi Language (History and Grammar)”, he has extensively put forward a discussion on the phonetic, theoretic, synthetic, octological etc. directions of the language based on modern linguistic principles.
Early life and education
Dr. Dwijendra Nath Bhakat was born to Banamali Bhakat and Bhanumati Bhakat of Kherbari, a village of Dhubri district of Assam which is deeply associated with Satra life of Ekasarana Dharma. He did his primary education from Jinkata Nidhiram Bhakat M.V. School and high school education from Halakura High School. In the year 1977, he got his Bachelor’s degree with honours in Assamese language from Pramathesh Baruah College of Gauripur. In 1979, he got his Master’s degree from Gauhati University. In 1992, from the same university, he received Doctorate degree for his thesis titled “The Assamese Vaishnavite satras of North Bengal and Goalpara”. He was the first student from Pramathesh Baruah College to do Masters in Assamese. He was also the first person from Golakganj constituency to earn Masters and Doctorate degree in Assamese language.
On 7th December 1984, he married Labanya Roye, eldest daughter of Rukmini Kanta Roye, former principal of Pramathesh Baruah College and MLA from Bilasipara constituency, Assam. On 22nd December 1985, his only child, Ananya was born.
Career
Immediately after doing his Masters, Dr. Bhakat joined Pramathesh Baruah College as a temporary lecturer. On 11th September 1979, he joined Chilarai College, Golakganj as a lecturer. He retired from the same college as an Associate Professor and Head of the Assamese Department on 30th April 2015. While working in Chilarai College, Dr. Bhakat was associated with various organizations. He was the Secretary of Rajbangshi Bhasha Sahityar Ashor (1996), first Secretary of Rajbangshi Sahitya Sabha (1997-2000), Director of Foundation for Social Sciences and Research, Jalpaiguri (Language Section 1998-2005), Director of Centre for Ethnic Studies and Research, Golakganj (1998-2013), Vice President of Uttar-Puv Bhaxa-Sahitya Adhyayan Parisad, Gauhati University (2000-2002), Lifetime Member of Assam Sahitya Sabha (2001), Lifetime Member of Folklore Congress Association of India (2007), Secretary of Assam Jonokrishti Samaj, Dhubri (2007), President of Axom Sanskritik Mohasangha, Dhubri (2013-2016) and the President of Koch-Rajbangshi Sahitya Sabha (2015 till date).