IT correspondent
Guwahati, July 26:
Press Club of Assam (PCA) bats for due national recognitions to Guwahati Praan Dhiren Barua, who has been leading voluntary organisation Save Guwahati Build Guwahati (SGBG) for decades.
Nonagenarian Barua is synonymous to various social activities for the development of the pre-historic city of Guwahati.
A resident of Ambari lamb road locality in the city, Barua was conferred the honour as Guwahati Praan (life/soul) by more than ten active organisations in a public meeting held at Vivekananda centre on 10 August 2013 as an acknowledgment to his selfless services to the city and its millions of residents.
An active participant in the socialist movement during Sixties, Barua remains a voluntary worker since early Seventies. He was a part of the movement for Gauhati Medical College and Dr Bhubaneswar Borooah Cancer Institute in the city. The founder secretary of Uzanbazar market committee, Barua was instrumental in the formation of Guwahati Mahanagar Suraksha Samiti with the legendary socialist leader
Lakshyadhar Choudhury in 1990.
Later it was reorganized as the SGBG in 1998 and Barua served as its founder president. He also served Guwahati Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) as its chairman. Barua was also a part of the memorandum sent to then Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh along with 85 Parliamentarians for constitutional safeguards to the indigenous people of Assam on the basis of 1951.
He was lovingly called as Soru (young) Barua by Bharat Ratna Dr Bhupen Hazarika and appreciated his works as a social activist. Barua was a close associate of eloquent Assamese Parliamentarian Hem Barua. He was also associated with revolutionary stalwarts like Radha Govinda Baruah, Dr Bhubaneswar Borooah and a few others to bring the flavor of Ronagli Bihu to Latasil playground in 1952. He remained a trusted
associate of RG Baruah to start the Nehru stadium project in the heart of the city.
“We believe that it is high time for Assam government to take initiative for a national award conferred on Dhiren Barua as an appreciation to his prolonged services to the face of northeast India,” said a statement issued by PCA president Er Kailas Sarma,
working president Er NJ Thakuria and general secretary Hiren Chandra Kalita adding that a distinguished personality like Dhiren Barua should duly be honoured with Padma Shree.
