For the people of Assam, Harendra Nath Baruah, needs no introduction. He never comprised with his pen. And he never succumbed to any political pressure. A man with a rigid principle and vision, Baruah’s hallmark in his career, was his bold and courageous editorials. Precisely speaking he served as the beacon light to inspire those who wanted to be involved in the field of journalism.
Once there two prominent dailies in Assam —The Assam Tribune, Natun Asomiya, which was published from Kalipur area of greater Guwahati. Perhaps that was the only vernacular daily and it had great demand among the readers. But now the scenario is quite different. From Guwahati itself there are fifteen dailies including Hindi and Bengali. Haren Baruah served Natun Asomiya with utmost devotion. He used to walk from Uzan Bazar to Kalipur at the same pace and carried a bunch of papers under his arm. Baruah’s editorials always highlighted the burning topics, found out the lapses of the Government and also suggested the remedial measures to be adopted.
Besides being a journalist par excellence, Baruah was a social activist doing yeoman’s service for the downtrodden people. Some of his former colleagues were Jogesh Das, Hemo Rajkhowa, Murali Chowdhury, Pallav Baruah, Jiba Kanta Gogoi etc.
Baruah was a renowned freedom fighter, and out and out a Congressman who suffered imprisonment for the cause of India’s independence. For some years, he was the chairman of Guwahati Municipal Board and did a lot for the welfare of the Harijans. He was a public activist who had been upholding the cause he had found right and just. As an Editor he was a crusader for the nationalist cause.
He took journalism seriously as a noble profession. With his bold forceful and informative writings he could mesmerise the readers. In 1926 Pandu session of the Congress in which Deshabhakta Tarun Ram Phookun was the president, Baruah was a volunteer. He was not born with a silver spoon in his mouth and had to struggle hard for the survival of his family. Simple and unassuming by nature, Harendra Nath Baruah fought retentlessly against heavy odds. He was a warrior, and indomitable crusader for many burning issues. His honesty, dedication, devotion, boldness and impartiality in discharging his responsibilities as an Editor can be called a mission or the conspiracy of the Muslim League to include Assam in Pakistan he wrote a book titled Reflections of Assam cum Pakistan in which he forecefully declared that under no circumstances Assam could be a part of Pakistan. It is worth mentioning that during the States Reorganisation Commission’s visit there was a conspiracy to include Goalpara within Bengal but HN Baruah objected to it vehemently and said that Goalpara is a part and parcel of Assam. He always fought tooth and nail to get justice for the welfare and development of the State. His fruitful writings always aroused public sentiment. He wrote strongly worded articles supporting Assamese language as the official language of the State and medium of instructions. His book Asomoor Bideshi Nagarikar Samashya created a wave among all shades of public opinion.
Baruah enrolled himself as a member of the Indian National Congress in 1928 and during the civil disobedience movement, he was asked by stalwarts like Tyagabir Hem Barua and other movement leaders not to court imprisonment but to work round the clock to keep the movement alive. Under the Defence of India Act, Barua was detained for a year as a security prisoner in Tezpur jail in 1934. Although he was an eminent freedom fighter, his first love was journalism. He was associated as an Editor for long 50 years. He retired from active journalism in 1976.
The year preceding independence in 1947, as well as the years following it were of crucial importance to Assam. The Muslim League in its Lahore Conference in 1940 demanded inclusion of Assam in Pakistan. In the Grouping proposal Assam was enlisted in the ‘C’ Group - a proposal which might ultimately lead to inclusion of Assam in the proposed Pakistan. Assam under the leadership of Lokapriya Gopinath Bardoloi resisted this move. Harendra Nath Baruah was one of those who opposed the grouping proposal strongly.
He also played a pivotal role in the foreign national movement. In 1979, when the movement started he wrote a book in Assamese language titled, The Problem of Foreign Nationals in Assam. In 1980, he wrote The Assam Tragedy and Rape in Assam both in English. As the president of the Freedom Fighters Organisation, he was associated with the Mehta Commission and brought to light many untold stories of the Assembly election of 1983. On the fateful morning of August 31, 1987, after his return from a morning walk death snatched him away at the age of 79.
