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Anandaram Dhekiyal Phukan



His life span was too short, of just 29 years, but he is remembered as a true maker of modern Assamese language till date for his efforts on the upliftment of Assamese language.




Anandaram Dhekiyal Phukan




Anandaram Dhekiyal Phukan was born in 1829. His father Haliram was also an author. He wrote two books in Bangla, 'Asaam Buronji' and 'Kamrup Jatra Padhati'. His grand father Parashuram was orthodox Hindu, so never allowed Haliram to study english or any other foreign language.

On the contrary, Anandaram Phukan, became an expert of English literature. He first joined the first English school of Gauhati in 1835. There with the efforts of James Mathew and Jenkinson he started learning english literature and slowly showed his great strength in english. Then both British officials sponsored him to Hindu College of Kolkata. Phukan studied there for three years but came back to Gauhati again in 1844. But he kept learning english from an Oxford graduate, and also started learning Urdu-Farsi.

Anandaram Dhekiyal Phukan started his literary life from just 17 years with writing articles to Arunudoi, first Assamese magazine, in 1846. He first wrote 'Axomiya Loraar Mitra'(Assamese children's friend) based on English text books. He got it printed from Sibasagar and distributed in schools. At that time British started teaching Bengali in the schools. Anandaram couldn't tolerate it. In 1847 he joined government job. When Governer Miles came to Assam for an audit in 1853 Anandaram Phukan was the man who submitted an application to him appealing to use Assamese as a medium in the schools. Miles liked his arguments and supported him. The same year he was transferred to Nowgon, where he came in close contacts of Missionary Bronson and Collector Butler. In 1855 Phukan wrote a booklet "A few remarks on the assamese language, and on the Vernaculer education in Assam". He printed 100 copies of the book in Baptist press in Sibsagar and distributes to Bengal government and other important state government of the country. This booklet gave boast to the Assamese language movement against usage of Bengali Language in the schools of Assam.This small booklet shows his expertise in Assamese, Bengali, Hindi and verious regional laguages of India.

This brilliant personality left this world too early at the age of just 29 in 1859. Though his exact contributions to Assamese literatures were less, but his youthful efforts to bring Assamese language back to the education system always brings to the level of Brown-Bronson in Assamese society.

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