Hirendra Nath Dutta - a poet and a humanist from Assam


Hirendra Nath Dutta

Born at Titabor, Assam, in 1937, Hirendra Nath Dutta is a renowned poet, scholar an a well known translator. He is the recipient of Sahitya Akademi Award in 2004, Padmanath Vidya Vinod Smriti Sahitya Puraskar in 2013 and Assam Valley Literary Award in 2014.

After finishing his schooling from Mihiram Saikia High School of Titabor, Dutta studied science at Cotton College, Guwahati. After passing the intermediate exams with flying colours, Dutta studied English from the same college. He then moved to Calcutta to pursue his masters degree in Calcutta University. Later he joined J.B. College of Jorhat as a lecturer in the department of English. After working for six months at the college, Dutta joined Gauhati University as a lecturer of English. He not only enjoyed the profession of a teacher but also established himself as a guide for his students.

Dutta began writing poetry in the sixties. By that time he came in close contact with scholars and litterateurs like Prof. Amaresh Dutta, Navakanta Barua and Hiren Gohain. His first collection of poems was published in 1981 under the title Somdhirir Soworini Aru Anaya Anaya Kabita. Apart from that, Dutta has to his credit, several collections of poems Manuha Anukule (2000), Pal Anupalar Anch (2007), etc., and two collections of critical essays – Nirbasito Xomalosana (2011) and Mor Prabandha (2014). He has also edited an anthology of Assamese poetry – One Hundred Years of Assamese Poetry in 2007.

Dutta’s poetry is marked by unusual and impressive, density of form, and his own characteristic poetic diction that manages to project the tremor and confusions of the present age without being cynical. Dutta has participated in the Kabi Bharati Poet's Conference at Bhopal in 1987 and several Poet's Conferences held at New Delhi, Bangalore, and Calcutta organized by Sahitya Akademi.

Dutta believes that poetry is an art and art is ultimate beauty and it is the moral responsibility of any poet to pursue beauty, nature and its unending mysteries.


Ref:
1. http://www.telegraphindia.com/1041230/asp/northeast/story_4189409.asp
2. http://www.assamtribune.com/scripts/detailsnew.asp?id=jan0115/at052