He was an honest, brave and impartial journalist, who raised voice relentlessly against the separatist militants of trouble-torn northeast India. Moreover he was also vocal for the basic minimum rights of journalists and other media employees of Assam.

Hiten Mahanta, an acclaimed journalist of northeast India passed away on 29 August 2015 at GNRC hospital (Guwahati six-mile campus). Mahanta breathed his last at 7.25 and the attending doctors declared the immediate cause of his death was cardiac arrest. Mahanta suffered multiple head injuries on the morning hours of August 5 as he fell on the road of his home place Chunchali in eastern Guwahati. [Foul play not suspected]

He was immediately admitted to the hospital, but his physical condition remained critical till his last moment. Born in Guwahati in 1957, Mahanta completed his PU (10+2 standard) from the prestigious Cotton College and joined Pragjyotish College for graduation. Then he got admitted in Gauhati University and completed his post-graduation course in Political Science from the pioneer higher education centre of northeast India.

For some years the outspoken but impartial observer of society Mahanta was engaged with the Left movement in Assam. But later he abandoned their company to join with professional journalism through various Assamese newspapers.

The now acclaimed journalist began his professional career in 1984 through Janakranti, an Assamese news magazine and eventually became familiar with hundreds of young journalists as Mahanta-da.

Soon he shifted to Ajir Asom, an Assamese daily from The Sentinel group in 1987 and later he joined Natun Dainik, another popular Assamese daily under the leadership of author-journalist CP Saikia in 1989. Mahanta also served as the President of Chandrakanta Press (Natun Dainik ) Employees Union for some years. For more than a decade he used to write media columns as an independent journalist on various socio- political developments of the State.

An active member of Guwahati Press Club, Mahanta was a core member of a team raising voice relentlessly against the terror activities of separatist militants in the trouble-torn region. He was a regular attendant on both the Independence Day and the Republic Day celebrations at the press club premises, which special days were initiated by the media fraternity to honour the martyrs of India’s freedom struggle defying the militants’ diktat since 1998.

Mahanta was also associated with Journalist Action Committee and Journalists’ Forum Assam. For some time, he was associated with the Journalist Union of Assam, an affiliate to Indian Journalist Union. He also led an umbrella body of various media men’s organizations named All Assam Media Employees Federation from the front. He not only demanded financial security for media persons, but also wrote columns against biased journalists, who always adopted a slantged journalism style.

Soon after the news of his death broke, a number of media persons and other well wishers assembled at the hospital and took his body to his residence, where his wife Manashri Mahanta with two sons namely Niharanjan and Chinmoy completed the necessary Hindu rituals.

Various social organizations paid their tributes to Mahanta there and joined his last journey to Navagraha crematorium in the city. On his way, Mahanta was also taken to the press club, where hundreds of journalists mourned his demise and paid their last respects.

The editor-journalists who were present on Mahanta’s last journey included Manoj Kumar Goswami (editor of DY365); Ajit Kumar Bhuyan (editor, Prag); Prasanta Rajguru (editor, Amar Asom); Munin Bayan (executive editor Dainik Asom); Ranen Kumar Goswami, Prakash Mahanta, Sanjib Phukan, Pranay Bordoloi, Mrinal Talukder, Mukul Kalita, Keshab Kalita, Pramod Kalita, Bipul Sarma and more.

Similarly distinguished individuals like Deepak Narayan Dutta, Jagadindra Raichoudhury, Kishor Giri, Uddhav Barman, Deven Bhattacharya, Suprakash Talukder, Isfakur Rahman, Subodh Sarma, Basanta Barthakur, Saifuddin Ahmed, Dugdha Kalita, Rajib Saikia etc also paid homage to the departed soul.

Later a memorial meeting was organized on 2 September at the press club, where the city based scribes paid homage to Mahanta. Presided over by Dainik Janambumi editor Hemanta Barman, the meeting decided to publish a book covering Mahanta’s struggle of life, his preaching of journalism and pro-people initiatives. The meeting also resolved to launch an award in Mahanta’s memory, which would be offered to a committed journalist of the State annually.

This was attended by a number of distinguished personalities including Mahanta’s younger brother Sailen Mahanta, DN Singh, Khagen Kalita, Pranabjit Doloi, Uday Borgohain, Bipul Sarma, Divas Phukan, Jayanta Gogoi etc all showing their heartiest love and respect for him; the meeting also expressed gratitude to everyone who had extended financial support to Mahanta’s family in his prolonged treatment including the GNRC hospital chief Dr NC Bora for extensive rebates over his medical expenditures.

Meanwhile, various political parties including Asom Gana Parishad, Bhartiya Janata Party (Assam unit), All India United Democratic Front etc extended condolence message to the bereaved family. Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi also mourned at the sudden demise of Mahanta. The Union minister Sarbananda Sonowal, who hails from Assam, in a condolence message, termed Mahanta as a sincere journalist and
commented that his departure was an irreparable loss to mainstream journalism of the northeastern region of India.

May his soul rest in peace!