Nagen Saikia ( as, নগেন শইকীয়া; born 11 February 1939) is an Indian writer. He was formerly a professor of

Dibrugarh University Dibrugarh University is a collegiate public state university in the Indian state of Assam. It is located at Dibrugarh, Assam, India. It was set up in 1965 under the provisions of the Dibrugarh University Act, 1965 enacted by the Assam Legislat ...

. Saikia had also been a member of the Rajya Sabha from 1986-1992 and was the vice-chairman of the Upper House from 1990-1992. Saikia started his career as a teacher and went on to serve in different reputed institutions in various categories. He also delivered lectures on various topics about Assamese literature, including in the US and England. He has published numerous literary essays, short stories, novels, books and articles, to his credit. Saikia was conferred with the Sahitya Akademi award in 1997 for his short stories collection ''Andharat Nizar Mukh'' and was honoured by the Mohan Chandra Sahitya Sabha in 1980 for ''Chinta aru Charcha''. He was conferred the

Sahitya Akademi Fellowship The Sahitya Akademi Fellowship is a literary honour in India bestowed by the Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters.Quote: "In his acceptance speech when India's National Academy of Letters (Sahitya Akademi) in 1997 conferred its h ...

, the highest honour conferred by the

Sahitya Akademi The Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters, is an organisation dedicated to the promotion of literature in the languages of India. Founded on 12 March 1954, it is supported by, though independent of, the Indian government. Its of ...

on the most distinguished Indian writers.

Early life

Saikia was born in 1939 Hatiakhowa to Umaram Saikia and Hemaprabha Saikia,

Golaghat Golaghat ( ''Gʊlaɡʱat'' ) one of the largest subdivisions of the Indian state of Assam, later elevated to the position of a full–fledged district headquarter on 5 October 1987, is a city and a municipality and the seat of administrative ...

district of

Assam Assam (; ) is a state in northeastern India, south of the eastern Himalayas along the Brahmaputra and Barak River valleys. Assam covers an area of . The state is bordered by Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh to the north; Nagaland and Manipur ...

. He started his primary education in Borkathoni L.P. school and later went to Kakodonga M.E. School. He passed his matriculation from Dhekial H. E. School in 1957 securing first division. In 1959 he passed his I. A. (Higher Secondary) from

Jagannath Barooah College Front view of JB college Jagannath Barooah College (popularly known as ''J.B. College'') is an autonomous college located in Jorhat, Assam, India. It was founded on 19 August 1930. The College is affiliated to Dibrugarh University and recogniz ...

Jorhat Jorhat ( ) is one of the important cities and a growing urban centre in the state of Assam in India. Etymology Jorhat ("jor" means twin and "hat" means market) means two hats or mandis - "Masorhaat" and "Sowkihat" which existed on the opposite ...

. He was graduated from

Debraj Roy College Debraj Roy College (informally known as D. R. College or D. R.) is a leading public higher education institution established in 1949 at Jonaki Nagar in Golaghat. Affiliated to Dibrugarh University, the college has 15 departments running Higher ...

in 1961. He had done his Post- Graduation in Assamese (Literature) from

Gauhati University Gauhati University, also known as GU, is a Collegiate university, collegiate public state university located in Guwahati, Assam, India. It was established on 26 January 1948 under the provisions of an Act enacted by the Assam Legislative Assem ...

Guwahati Guwahati (, ; formerly rendered Gauhati, ) is the biggest city of the Indian state of Assam and also the largest metropolis in northeastern India. Dispur, the capital of Assam, is in the circuit city region located within Guwahati and is the ...

in 1964. He did his Ph. D. from

in 1982 under the supervision of Mahendra Borah for his thesis ''A Critical Study of the Social and Intellectual Background of Modern Assamese Literature 1826-1903''.

Career

Nagen Saikia started his professional career as a teacher in Hatiakhowa H.E. School and Dhekial H. E. School from 1959 to 1965. He served as an Assistant Editor in ''Asom Batori'' in 1965. From 1965 to 1971 Nagen Saikia served as a lecturer in Assamese in the Diphu Government College, Jorhat College and the Devicharan Barua Girls' College. In 1972 he joined as a lecturer in the department of Assamese in

and continued till 1986. During this period he also served as a Secretary of the Co- Ordination Committee for publication of Text books in Assamese,

. Saikia had also been a member of the

Rajya Sabha The Rajya Sabha, constitutionally the Council of States, is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of India. , it has a maximum membership of 245, of which 233 are elected by the legislatures of the states and union territories using si ...

from 1986-1992 and was the vice-chairman of the Upper House from 1990-1992.http://www.dibrugarhonline.com/2011/10/biodata-of-dr-nagen-saikia-pg-1.html
In 1992 Saikia joined as Professor of the

Lakshminath Bezbaroa ' Lakshminath Bezbarua (, 14 October 1864), was an Assamese poet, novelist and playwright of modern Assamese literature. He was one of the literary stalwarts of the Jonaki Era, the age of romanticism in Assamese literature when through his e ...

chair in the department of Assamese in

. He was an editor of ''Natun Dainik'', an Assamese daily in 2003 and ''

Amar Asom The ''Amar Asom'' ( Assamese: আমাৰ অসম) is an Assamese daily newspaper published by G. L. Publications Ltd. After the exit of Homen Borgohain as the Editor-in-chief, this newspaper tries to maintain its stand by siding with peopl ...

'' in 2004-06. Travelled Abroad of Dr. Saikia * Being invited as the Guest Speaker, delivered lectures on ‘Contributions of American Baptist Missionaries towards the Development of Modern Assamese Literature, in the United States in 1988, under the auspices of Assam Association of North America. * Travelled China as a member of the Five-Member-Delegation of

Indian Writers Indian or Indians may refer to: Peoples South Asia * Indian people, people of Indian nationality, or people who have an Indian ancestor ** Non-resident Indian, a citizen of India who has temporarily emigrated to another country * South Asia ...

, in 1993, organised by

. * Travelled England to deliver Lectures on Sankardeva in the month of October (1998). Honorary Office : * General Secretary,

Asam Sahitya Sabha The Asam Sahitya Sabha (; Literary Society of Assam) is a non Government, non profit, literary organisation of Assam. It was founded in December 1917 in Assam, India to promote the culture of Assam and Assamese literature. A branch of the organi ...

(1973-1976, 1980-1985) * Member, (in different times) Executive Committee, Book Selection Committee, Jatiya Nyas Samiti, Editorial Board of The Patrika, Literary Award Committees, Committee for plan and Programmes etc. of

Assam Sahitya Sabha The Asam Sahitya Sabha (; Literary Society of Assam) is a non Government, non profit, literary organisation of Assam. It was founded in December 1917 in Assam, India to promote the culture of Assam and Assamese literature. A branch of the organi ...

. * Member, (in different times) General Body, Executive Committee, Encyclopedia Committee, Award Committee, Book Planning Committee, Administrative Reform Committee etc. of the Publication Board,

. * Member, Assamese Advisory Board,

(1975-1985, 1993-1998, 2003-2008) * Member, General Council,

(1993-1998) * Member, Authors’ Guild of India (1974) * Member-Convenor, Assamese Bhasa Samiti,

Saraswati Samman The Saraswati Samman is an annual award for outstanding prose or poetry literary works in any of the 22 languages of India listed in Schedule VIII of the Constitution of India. It is named after the Hindu goddess of knowledge, Saraswati. The Saras ...

New Delhi New Delhi (, , ''Naī Dillī'') is the capital of India and a part of the National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati Bhavan, Parliament Ho ...

(1991-1994). * Member, Court of the

North-Eastern Hill University North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU) is a Central University established on 19 July 1973 by an Act of the Indian Parliament. The university is in the suburb of Shillong, the state capital of Meghalaya, India. The university has two campuses: S ...

Shillong Shillong () is a hill station and the capital of Meghalaya, a state in northeastern India, which means "The Abode of Clouds". It is the headquarters of the East Khasi Hills district. Shillong is the 330th most populous city in India with a ...

(1989-1992). * Member, Chayan Parishad, Saraswati Samman (1993-1996) * Member, Advisory Committee, Tai Language Course,

(1992-2003). * Member, Executive Council & Court

and thereby member in other Committees. * Member, Editorial Board, Prakas (Assamese Monthly) (1990-1992). * Member, Editorial Board ‘Samjna’ (Assamese Monthly) (1975-1978). * Editor, Sampratik, Poetry Magazine (1971). * Chief Editor, Brahmaputra (for a short time) Assamese monthly (1985). * President, Natakam, a Theatre Group (1966-1968)

. * Member, Advisory Committee to the Education Minister, Assam (1986-1990). * Member, State Advisory Committee for preservation of Cultural Identity (1986-1990). * Member, Advisory Board of Implementation of Educational Scheme for Tea Garden Population of Assam (1986-1990). * Vice-Chairman, State Level

National Integration Council The National Integration Council (NIC) is a group of senior politicians and public figures in India that looks for ways to address the problems of communalism, casteism and regionalism. Council members include cabinet ministers, entrepreneurs, ce ...

(1987-1990) * Member, State Planning Board,

(1987-1990; 1998) * Member, General Body, Srimanta Sankardev Kalakshetra (1987-1990, 1996-1999). * Member, State Committee for Production of Text Books (1981-1983). * Member, Governing Body of the

North East Zone Cultural Centre North East Zone Culture Centre in Chümoukedima in Nagaland state is one of many regional cultural centres established by the Indian Government to preserve and promote traditional cultural heritage of India. The North East Cultural Zone is on ...

(186-1990). * Different Committees of the Parliament (1986-1992). * Member, Panel of Vice-Chairman,

(1990-1992). * Member, (President of India’s Nominee) of the Planning and Academic Committee,

Tezpur University Tezpur University is a Central University located in Tezpur in the North-Eastern state of Assam, India, established by an act of Parliament, in 1994. History The establishment of Tezpur University is considered to be one of the outcomes of t ...

(1999-2004). * Member, State Planning Board,

(1996-2000). * Member, Governing Body, Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre,

Kolkata Kolkata (, or , ; also known as Calcutta , the official name until 2001) is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal, on the eastern bank of the Hooghly River west of the border with Bangladesh. It is the primary business, comme ...

, (1998-2002). * Member, General Council of Anundaram Barooah Institute of Language, Art & Culture. (1996-1999). * Editor, Uttarayan, an Assamese Literary Monthly 2000-2001. * Member, Selection of Vice-Chancellor for

(1992 & 1997) * Subject Expert, Assamese (National Level). * Member, Executive Committee of Comparative Literature Association of India. * President, Sankari Sangeet Vidyapeeth (1997). * Member, (Govt. of Assam Nominee) High Powered Committee, Literary and Culture Pensions (1997-2000). * Member, Srimanta Sankardeva Award Selection Committee (1995-2000). * Member, Expert Committee for Selection of Newspapers and Peridicals for Preservation in the Library,

(2003-2004). * Jury Member of a few State and National Level Literary Awards. * Member,

International Comparative Literature Association The International Comparative Literature Association (ICLA) (French: Association Internationale de Littérature Comparée—AILC) is an international organization for international research in comparative literature. Founded in 1954, ICLA pro ...

. * Member, Council for Development of Indian Languages,

Govt. of India The Government of India ( ISO: ; often abbreviated as GoI), known as the Union Government or Central Government but often simply as the Centre, is the national government of the Republic of India, a federal democracy located in South Asia, ...

Awards

* Mohan Chandra Sarma Award, 1980 * President, Literary Section, Sreemanta Sankaradeva Sangha,

Dergaon Dergaon (IPA: ˈdɜːˌgɑ̃ʊ) is a town and a municipality in the Golaghat district of Assam, India.It is 282 km from the state capital Guwahati. Hemchandra Barua, the compiler of ''Hemkosh'' (the earliest Assamese-English dictionary) ...

Session, 1976 *

Sahitya Akademi Award The Sahitya Akademi Award is a literary honour in India, which the Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters, annually confers on writers of the most outstanding books of literary merit published in any of the 22 languages of the ...

, 1997 for Short-story Collection ''Andharat Nijar Mukh'' * Title '' Vidya-Nidhi'', 1998 conferred by the International Buddhist Brotherhood Mission *

Assam Valley Literary Award The Assam Valley Literary Award ( as, অসম উপত্যকা সাহিত্য বঁটা) was conceived in the year 1990 by ''Williamson Magor Education Trust'' to honour creative writers who have enhanced Assamese literature. It ...

, 2007 for total Literary Contribution. * Hariprasad Rai Award, 2008. * K. K. Handiqui Memorial Literary Award, 2009. * Jagadhatri Haramohan Award, 2010. * Sabda Sahitya Award, 2013 * People of the Year 2015 by

Limca Book of Records The ''Limca Book of Records'' is an annual reference book published in India documenting world records held by Indians. The records are further categorized into education, literature, agriculture, medical science, business, sports, nature, advent ...

, 2015 * D.Litt. by

in 2016 * ERDF Excellence Award-2015 by ERD Foundation (

University of Science and Technology, Meghalaya The University of Science and Technology, Meghalaya (or simply USTM) is a private university in India located at Ri-Bhoi, in the state of Meghalaya. It is the first State Private University in the entire Northeast India. The University is es ...

)

Works

Fiction: * ''Kuber Hati Barua''(A collection of Short-stories), 1967 * ''Chabi Aru Frame''(A collection of Short-stories), 1969 * ''Bandha Kothat Dhumuha'' (A collection of Short-stories), 1971 * ''Matir Chakir Jui'' (A collection of Short-stories), 1976 * ''Astitvar Sikali'' (A collection of Short-stories), 1976 * ''Aparthiva-Parthiva'' (A collection of Short-stories), 1982 * ''Andharat Nizar Mukh'' (A collection of Short-stories), 1995 * ''Bhagna Upakul'' (Novel), 1983 * ''Amerikat Dahdin'' (Travelogue), 1988 * ''Maha Chinar Dinlipi'' (Travelogue), 1994 * ''Swapna aru Smriti'' and ''Dhulir Dhemali'' (Autobiographies), 2002 * ''Hemanta Kalar Ati Gadhulit'', (A collection of Short-Stories), 2001 Verses: * ''Mita-Bhas'' ( A collection of short expressions, A new literary genre introduced by the author), 1995 * ''Swapna-Smriti-Visad'' (A collection of ''Mita-Bhas''), 1997 Non-fiction: * ''Background of Modern Assamese Literature'', 1988 * ''Chinta Aru Charcha'', 1980 * ''Unabimsa Satikar AsamiyaBhasar Samkat'', 1988 * ''Bharatar Samskritik Aitijya aru Anyanya Rachana'', 1993 * ''Agnigarbha Asam'', 1993 * ''Asamiya Kabita aru Anyanya Bisay'', 1996 * ''Gavesana-Padhati-Parichaya'' (A Book on Research Methodology in Assamese), 1996 * ''Tulanamulak Sahitya-Bichar'' (A book on

Comparative Literature Comparative literature is an academic field dealing with the study of literature and cultural expression across linguistic, national, geographic, and disciplinary boundaries. Comparative literature "performs a role similar to that of the study ...

), 1996 * ''Sambadikata: Eti Gadhur aru Pavitra Dayitva'', 2000 * ''Unavimsa Satikar Asam: Andhar aru Pohar'', 2002? * ''Ejan Santa Tantir Jevan-Kahini'' (Monograph on Kavir), 2001 * ''Byaktitvar Bhaskarayya'' * ''Asamiya Varnamala'', 2001 * ''Sahitya Badabaichitrya'', 2003 * ''

Maheswar Neog Professor Maheswar Neog (7 September 1915 – 13 September 1995) was an Indian academic who specialised in the cultural history of the North East India especially Assam, besides being an Assamese-language scholar and poet. He was a top Indologis ...

'' (Monograph) * '' Anandachandra Baruah'' (Monograph) * ''

Sankardeva Srimanta Sankardev( শ্ৰীমন্ত শংকৰদেৱ )(; ; 1449–1568) was a 15th–16th century Assamese polymath; a saint-scholar, poet, playwright, dancer, actor, musician, artist social-religious reformer and a figure of im ...

'' (Monograph) * ''Asamiya Manuhar Itishas'', 2013

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Saikia, Nagen Indian male novelists 1939 births Living people Recipients of the Assam Valley Literary Award Writers from Assam People from Golaghat district Recipients of the Sahitya Akademi Award in Assamese Indian male short story writers Indian male essayists 20th-century Indian novelists 20th-century Indian short story writers 20th-century Indian essayists 20th-century Indian male writers