Northern- eastern part of India early nurtured Assam as a cradle for world-famous personae, most of them contributing to diverse areas-from literature and arts to science and sports. The rich culture and bold intellectual environment of Assam have cultivated a huge number of people leaving their mark on the globe. When we start making the list of these prides, the list is never-ending.
Let’s have a quick look about these gems:
As time has passed, Assam has become a place known for producing personalities who have made their mark across all rounds in different fields-literature, politics, sports, and the arts. They brought fame to the state, yet their names were written across the country and beyond it. Here, some of them are being explored in detail –
| Famous Personalities of Assam | Field of Contributions | Notable Achievements |
| Raibahadur Jagannath Barooah | Tea Cultivation, Education | First graduate from Upper Assam |
| Krishna Kanta Handique | Scholarship, Literature | Padma Bhushan recipient, Sanskrit translations |
| Mitradev Mahanta | Education, Literature | Poet, playwright, Assam Sahitya Sabha president |
| Binanda Chandra Barooah | Poetry, Social Work | President of Assam Sahitya Sabha |
| Radhanath Phukan | Law, Administration | First M.A. of Assam |
| Headmaster Zehiruddin Ahmed | Education | Introduced uniforms and meals in Assam schools |
| Hem Barooah | Literature, Education | Poet, novelist, social worker |
| Chandradhar Barooah | Law, Literature | Represented Assam at the Round Table Conference |
| Dr. Birendra Kumar Bhattacharya | Literature | First Assamese Gnanpith Awardee |
| Dr. Satyendra Nath Sarma | Education, Social Work | Padma Shri recipient, author |
| Bhupen Hazarika | Music and Cinema | Legendary singer, composer, and filmmaker |
| Papon | Music | Famous Musician, singer and lyricist |
| Gopinath Bordoloi | Politics | First Chief Minister of Assam, Bharat Ratna |
| Hima Das | Sports (Athletics) | Indian sprinter, gold medalist at the Asian Games |
| Mamoni Raisom Goswami | Literature | Jnanpith Award-winning writer |
| Ranjan Gogoi | Judiciary | Former Chief Justice of India |
| Zubeen Garg | Music and Cinema | Renowned singer, actor, and filmmaker |
| Arnab Goswami | Media | Prominent TV journalist and news anchor |
| Jyoti Prasad Agarwalla | Poetry, Social Work | Famous Indian playwright, songwriter, poet, writer and film-maker from Assam |
1. Krishna Kanta Handique – The Scholar of Assam
Krishna Kanta Handique was born on 20 July 1898, in the place known as Jorhat in Assam. He was an educated man and a linguist, who has contributed richly to the field of literature. He graduated with a Gold Medal from Calcutta Sanskrit College and earned a Master’s degree from Calcutta University. In 1937, for his contributions in writing and translating books and to Assamese literature, he was elected president of Assam Sahitya Sabha. He died on 7 June 1982.
| Category | Feature |
| Linguistics | Mastered several languages, including Greek, Latin, French, German, Spanish, Italian, and Russian. |
| Literature | Translated numerous Sanskrit texts and authored various scholarly essays. |
| Awards | Padma Shri in 1955 and Padma Bhushan in 1967 |
2. Bhupen Hazarika – The Bard of Brahmaputra
Bhupen hazarika: popularly known as “The bard of Brahmaputra”, an epithet most apposite, for this most soulful of music that becomes an effective depiction of Assam. Born in 1926, this multifaceted artist—a singer, composer, filmmaker and lyricist—produced songs based on the themes of humanity and social justice, which not only touched millions of hearts in Assam but also in India and abroad.
| Category | Features |
| Music | Bhupen Hazarika’s music is deeply rooted in Assamese culture, and his songs like “Bistirno Parore”, “Dil Hoom Hoom Kare”, “Manuhe Manuhor Babe”, etc have become anthems of social change. He has also collaborated with Lata Mangeshkar to sing songs. |
| Cinema | He also made contributions to Assamese cinema, directing films such as Shakuntala and Pratidhwani. |
| Awards | Bharat Ratna, Padma Vibhusan, Dadasaheb Phalke Award, Padma Bhusan and More. |
3. Gopinath Bordoloi – Assam’s First Chief Minister
Gopinath Bodoloi who was born on 6th June 1890 in Raha, Assam is one of the great personalities of India. Bordoloi turned into a freedom fighter who dedicated his life to combating for the rights of the Assamese human beings. His active involvement within the non-cooperation motion created an opening among the British authorities and the newly fashioned impartial authorities. He later became the primary Chief Minister of the state. He laid the foundation for its improvement and integration into the Indian Union.
| Category | Feature |
| Politics | First Chief Minister of Assam |
| Awards | Padma Shri in 1955 and Padma Bhushan in 1967 |
4. Hima Das – The Golden Girl of Indian Athletics
Hima Das “Dhing Express” is a motivation for the current generation of girls to take part in sports. She belongs to a small village named Dhing of Nagaon, Assam. She is now an emerging figure of Indian sprinter who became the first-ever Indian athlete to win gold medals in track events at the IAAF World U20 Championships and the Asian Games.
| Field | Achievements |
| Athletics | Gold medal at the Asian Games and World U20 Championship |
| Awards | Arjuna Award |
5. Zubeen Garg – The Melodious Maestro of Assam
Zubeen Garg is an institution in Assam, known essentially as a multitalented individual in music and cinema. As a singer-composer-actor, Zubeen has enchanted a million hearts with his voice and spellbinding performances. Such famous Zubeen Garg songs like “Ya Ali,” “Sapne Saare,” etc., are not merely chartbusters but have topped the charts in Assam and even flew high across India. He has directed several successful Assamese films dealing with social issues of Assam.
| Field | Achievements |
| Music | Popular songs like “Ya Ali”, “Janmoni”, “Jhoom Barabar Jhoom”, etc |
| Awards | 55th National Film Awards, Global Indian Film Awards, etc |
Other Famous Assamese Personalities
Lets have a look on the other personalities of Assam that are alive inside the hearts of all of us:
Kanaklata Barua: Kanaklata Barua or Birangana or Shaheed changed into an independence activist from India, shot lifeless by means of the Indian Imperial Police of the British Raj whilst she led a procession bearing the countrywide Flag all through the cease India motion of 1942.
Lachit Borphukan: Of course, he has a great contribution to all the Assamese people which is associated with the Battle of Saraighat. In the 17th century, he proved his bravery by fighting against the Mughal rulers to safeguard the Ahom Dynasty and the people of the North-East.
Raibahadur Jagannath Barooah: He is the first person who started education and tea cultivation in Assam. He was the first graduate to complete the First Arts (F.A.) course and passed out of Presidency College, Calcutta. He also successfully cleared the Native Civil Services in 1875. He was conferred the title of “Raibahadur” by the British government in 1902.
Mamoni Raisom Goswami: She is the author of the great novels such as ‘The Moth Eaten Howdah of the Tusker’ and ‘Pages Stained with Blood’. She was rewarded with the prestigious Gyanpith Award and the Sahitya Akademi Award.
Ranjan Gogoi: Ranjan Gogoi is the First Assamese who has served as the 46th Chief Justice of India. He presided over cases such as the Ayodhya dispute. He was also nominated to the Rajya Sabha after his retirement.
Shiva Thapa: He is a well-known Indian boxer and he was the only young boxer who qualified for the London Olympics in 2012 from India. He also won a gold medal in the Asian Games and the Tokyo Olympic Test.
Maniram Dewan: Nobleman, he was a nobleman who worked under the British in India. However, he worked for the people of Assam and helped in establishing tea gardens in Upper Assam and was hanged to death for his conspiracy against the Britishers for development of Assamese people.
Assam’s glorious past and rich culture very comfortably laid the germination grounds for world-beaters in every field. These are not merely famous names in the slate but will be very important in the international identity of India as it rolls overseas. While we cheer for them, we must not forget the countless unsung heroes who make Assam proud in their little, silent contributions every day.
