J S Milton might have been right when he said, “Death is the golden key that opens the palace of eternity.” But the glee of Milton’s invisible ‘palace of eternity’ that would have filled our hearts is more than offset by the sadness, which has overwhelmed us due to the mournful departure [in 2006] of Satis Chandra Kakati. And, as Satis Kakati had left his earthly abode in June last, the sky of Asom’s journalism was heavily overcast with gloom. This grief syndrome, which came irresistibly, had put an end to an era symptomatic of ethical and investigative journalism. He fully deserved the cherished epithet of Pitamaha of Asom’s journalism given to him.

While death to each and every living being is an indispensable evil, we, the men of flesh and blood, unfairly nourish a grudge against the Yamaraj and remorse the loss of our near and dear ones, and of those adored as men of substance. Satis Chandra Kakati was one such person whose death was mourned deeply and widely, because with his end, Asom had not only lost a very worthy son gifted with multilateral talents but also witnessed the end of an era. He was just four months away from scoring 94 years’ benchmark when death had snatched him away. Ironically, in order to cheer him up, we were even talking of celebrating his century benchmark, which, judging from the smile he emitted at the suggestion seemed to have met his approval. However, as was the will of God, the tragedy had visited him much earlier, stealing even his 94th birthday, only to leave his family, fans and followers in utter shock and grief.

Kakati’s first love was journalism. Infact, he was a born journalist. He found his passport to journalism through a visionary and an architect of Asom in the fields of sports and journalism who was none other than the Late Radha Govinda Baruah, the lion hearted genius most appropriately termed as the Simhapurush of Asom. He was so termed not only because he was a pioneer in the field of journalism and brought out The Assam Tribune group of newspapers to serve the cause of the much-neglected Asom, but also because he had promoted the cause of sports in Asom, either of which summoned a lion’s heart to be ventured. It is only a genius who can discover one of his class and Radha Govinda had no qualms in finding out as to who would fulfil his dream. Inevitably, Kakati was the most natural choice to nourish his brainchild. And Kakati equally had no qualms in seizing the opportunity thrown by destiny through RGB gleefully.

Thus he became a part and parcel of The Assam Tribune, the only newspaper that shone like a lonely star and won the hearts of millions. From an Assistant Editor of this newfound love, Kakati rose to adorn the position of its celebrated Editor and it is here wherein Kakati had burnt the prime of his life’s candle. A karmayogi and a born writer as he was, his growing age could not separate him from either the much cherished newspapers he so painstakingly nourished or the warm mutual relations developed between these two doyens of journalism. Radha Govinda Baruah needed Kakati as much as Kakati needed RGB. The latter decided to publish a Weekly and having already retired from the Editorship of The Assam Tribune, the way was opened for Kakati to add another feather to his cap. He inevitably became the Editor of the Asom Bani, the much sought – after Asomiya weekly. Certainly, much of this credit goes to none other than this dedicated Editor whose soul remained in every page of the newspapers he had edited while his heart remained to hover around the messiah, Radha Govinda Baruah.

It is not as if this stalwart of journalism had no other pastimes ingrained in his heart. Swept by the wave of freedom struggle under the Himalayan high leadership of Mahatma Gandhi, he jumped into it even as he was just a fledgling student, to protest against the Cunningham Circular and was incarcerated. Then he resumed his studies in an environment of political instability fed by electrifying surcharge of patriotism to sweep the whole country. And yet, in all the examinations he had taken, he came out with flying colours. His academic quest incited him to take to teaching and he became a founder Head Master in the Gangapukhuri High School in 1936 before he joined as Assistant Head Master of the Kamrup Academy, Guwahati in 1948. But journalism being his first-love, he continued to render his services as a reporter of several national dailies including The Hindustan Standard, Ananda Bazar Patrika, as also of the Press Trust of India from 1937 to 1947. Then he felt it was time to switch over to government service and he joined as Assistant Publicity Officer. The sterling qualities in him captured the attention of the big guns in the Government of Asom. He soon became a blue boy of the Director Hailey. Thereafter, he worked with some of the great persons like Sir Akbar Haidari, Sri Prakash and Jairam Das Daulat Ram, the then Governors of Asom, as also with Lokapriya Gopinath Bardoloi and Bishnu Ram Medhi, the then Chief Minister and the Finance Minister of Asom respectively, between 1948 and 1952. This was his turning point and resigning from the government service, he joined as an Assistant Editor of The Assam Tribune. And, there he later rose to be its distinguished Editor and finally, the Editor of the weekly, Asom Bani.

During his long and illustrated tenure of careerist journalism, he had free access to such great personalities as Mahatma Gandhi, Jawahar Lal Nehru and Mahammed Ali Jinnah whom he had privileges to interview. He had also very intimate relations with BK Nehru and Lt General SK Sinha and they used to write to him regularly after they had left Asom. A person of outstanding substance as he was, he had held many ornamental positions, travelled many countries, attended many foreign conferences, wrote several important books and annexed many awards to mark his celebrated career which traversed wide fields from journalism to teaching, to writing, to social services etc. He had no formal degree or diploma of journalism and yet he was invited to teach journalism in the Gauhati University. This alone testifies to the mettle he was made of. Ulabori, his birthplace had always remained close to his heart and he patronised various welfare works such as donating a school or a bridge or a road. He was emotionally integrated with the simple villagers who also reciprocated equally well. Not many might know that he was an extremely social person such that even a trivial discomfort in one’s health was enough to make him visit a person closely associated with him.

His soul found solace in nothing else than writing and reading. If writing was his soul, reading was his breathe without which he could not survive even for a moment. It brings me an ecstatic pleasure to reminisce that while he was once lying in the ICU of the GMC Hospital in a serious condition and the doctors had restrained him from talking and the visitors from visiting, he defied the injunction and seeing me first after he regained senses in the ICU, the very first thing he demanded of me by gesture was to tell him what new articles I had written during the days of his illness! He derived great pleasure in lending a good book to one who really rejoiced reading. It would be a fitting tribute to pay to this worthy soul by his fans, followers and heirs on this 94th birthday, which he and we all narrowly missed, to remember him not merely by words but by planning such concrete steps as would sustain his lasting memory in the society he loved so dearly.

Courtesy: The Assam Tribune (October 2006)