Lakshminath Bezbaroa (1864–1938) was one of the illustrious sons of Assam who pioneered the modern Assamese literature. He was the most prominent literary figure of the Assamese Romantic period known as Jonaki Era. By publishing Jonaki, the epoch making journal, Laksminath Bezbaroa along with Chandra Kumar Agarwala and Hemchandra Goswami made stupendous feat in empowering Assamese society and literature. As Lakshminath Bezbaroa dominated the entire literary scene with his manifold contributions in all genres of Assamese literature comprising essays, plays, fiction, poetry and satires, the age is aptly termed as the Bezbaroa Era. Bezbaroa’s emergence into the erstwhile Assamese literature pushed it to grow by leaps and bounds. Bezbaroa thus took Assamese literature to a certain height with a mission to establish Assamese language as independent one.
Lakshminath Bezbaroa was born on 14th October, 1864 at Ahatguri in Nagaon district (Now Marigaon district) of Assam. Though his date of birth had evoked much controversy, finally Assam Sahitya Sabha, the apex literary body of the state has settled on the above mentioned date viz. 14 October which was the night of Lakhsmi Purnima, a full moon night for his date of birth. To mark the fortuity Bezbaroa was named by his parents as Lakshminath, (a name for Hindu God Vishnu, other half of Goddess Lakshmi). His father Dinanath Bezbaroa, an official under British government, along with his family members was travelling on the day towards Barpeta following an official transfer. Lakshminath was born on a boat by which the Bezbaroas were travelling to Barpeta that very full moon night. The boat was moored in a sand bank of the river Brahmaputra at Ahatguri now in Marigaon district of Assam.
Lakshminath Bezbaroa had to spend his childhood in different places of Assam. Since his father had kept moving from place to place due to official transfer, his family had never been able to settle down in a station for a longer period. He then took his family with him from Barpeta to Tezpur and then again from Tezpur to North Lakhimpur. However, before being settled down at Sibasagar for good, Bezbaroas had sojourned for a shorter period at Guwahati.
Lakshminath Bezbaroa began his early education in Sibsagar Govt. High School at Sibsagar. Thereafter he moved to Kolkata for higher studies and got admitted to University of Calcutta for M.A. and B.L. Courses which he did not complete. In 1893, he got engaged in timber business with Bholanath Barooah, the famous timber merchant from Assam in those days. Accuracy of choice, involvement and perseverance made the duo succeed in this joint enterprise. Later Bezbaroa tried out several businesses independently and finally joined as an area in-charge in a multi-national farm called ‘Bird & Company.’ Owing to his previous experience of working in the forests for longer period, the company cheerfully posted him at Sambalpur in Odisha with the view to gain more profits in the business. Though Bezbaroa made short visits to Sambalpur for several occasions earlier, he had settled down there permanently from the year 1917 onwards. It is worth mentioning that he had been there for long twenty years till the previous year of his death in 1938 at Dibrugarh.
Bezbaroa got married to Prajnasundari Devi of famous Tagore family of Calcutta in 1891. Since his student days Bezbaroa had spent his entire life outside Assam but his heart showed deep attachment to his own land and people and its culture and language. His literary oeuvre is deeply rooted in the locale. Another great literary personality, scholar from Assam Banikanta Kakati rightfully said, ‘Bezbaroa is an eternal rebel of any kind of foreign influence.’
Bezbaroa is popularly known as the Shityarathi (Charioteer of Literature) by the Assamese literary circle. This envious appellation was conferred to him by Asom Sahitya Sabha considering his proficiency in all branches of literature. He is also honoured with the title Roxoraj (The King of Humour) by Asam Sahitya Sabha at Sibsagar session in the year 1931. Raxoaraj title was conferred to him looking at his efficacy in depicting the grim realities of the erstwhile Assamese society through his ever popular satirical write ups.
Bezbaroa had presided over the first Asom Chatro Sanmilon (First student organization in Assam) held at Guwahti in 1916. He also presided over the Assam Sahitya Sabha session in 1924. The presidential speech delivered by Bezbaroa from his chair has been now a treasure to the Assamese literature. His patriotic song, O Mur Aponar Desh (O My Endearing Country) which was officially adopted as the state anthem of Assam in 1927 at Asom Chatro Sanmmilan (Assam Student Conference) held in Tezpur got first published in 1909 in Banhi, a leading Assamese magazine. It is now customary in Assam to perform this song tuned by Kamala Prasad Agarwala in any public formal meetings to mark its beginning or ending.
