Veteran Assamese journalist Radhika Mohan Bhagawati who was widely respected passed away at a private hospital on Saturday after prolonged illness. He was 84.
Bhagawati, a winner of Sahitya Akademi award, was associated with ‘Dainik Asom’, a sister publication of The Assam Tribune group at the time of demise.
Bhagawati started his career in the late 1950s with ‘Notun Asomia’, an Assamese newspaper. He served as the editor of daily newspapers like ‘Ajir Dainik Batori’, ‘Batori’, ‘Ajir Asom’ and ‘Sentinel (Hindi) besides Dainik Asom.
Besides winning the Sahitya Akademi in 1991 for his translation work ‘The Story of Our Newspapers’ by Chanchal Sarkar, the Banaras Hindu University (BHU) alumnus won numerous award both in journalism and literature.
Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal besides various organizations and individuals have condoled the demise of the veteran scribe.
Sonowal said that Bhagawati was a glaring example of journalistic excellence who immensely enriched the field of journalism in the state. “For over 50 years, Bhagawati acted as a conscience of the people through his pen and guided the state through thick and thin. He was the first recipient of Republic Day Journalism Award, which was instituted by Assam government. He was also active in the field of literature and received the Sahitya Academi Award for translation. I feel deeply saddened to hear the news of his demise and pray for eternal peace of his departed soul”, Sonowal said.
The CM further stated that the void created by the departure of Bhagawati would never be fulfilled and his contributions would always be remembered by the people of the state. His pen was a means for exerting his sense of social responsibility and a voice for the downtrodden, Sonowal added.
