Veteran Journalist, Padma Shri Awardee Prafulla Govinda Baruah Passes Away at 94

Assam’s media fraternity plunged into deep mourning on Sunday night with the passing of veteran journalist, Padma Shri awardee and Managing Director of The Assam Tribune, Prafulla Govinda Baruah (94), who breathed his last at Apollo Hospital in Guwahati at around 9:40 pm.

Baruah, who had been battling age-related ailments for nearly a week, leaves behind a towering legacy that shaped the course of Assamese journalism for decades. As news of his demise spread, grief rippled through newsrooms, academic circles and civil society across the state, with tributes pouring in for a man widely regarded as a guardian of ethical journalism in Assam.

Born on July 26, 1932, in Dibrugarh, Prafulla Govinda Baruah devoted his life to nurturing and strengthening the foundations of print journalism in the Northeast. Carrying forward the vision of his father, Radha Govinda Baruah, the pioneering founder of The Assam Tribune, he ensured that the newspaper remained a credible, independent and principled voice in public discourse.

Under his stewardship, The Assam Tribune evolved with the times while steadfastly upholding the values of truth, integrity and public service, earning the trust of generations of readers.

In recognition of his immense contribution to journalism, education and literature in Assam, the Government of India honoured him with the Padma Shri, the country’s fourth-highest civilian award, in 2018, a moment of pride for the state’s journalistic community.

Earlier this year, on February 3, Krishna Kanta Handique State Open University conferred an honorary doctorate on Baruah during its third convocation ceremony, acknowledging his lifelong commitment to journalism and his role in shaping informed public opinion.

Family sources said his last rites will be performed on Monday after admirers, colleagues and well-wishers pay their final respects to his mortal remains.

With the passing of Prafulla Govinda Baruah, Assam has lost not just a journalist, but a steadfast custodian of its media legacy, one whose influence will continue to guide and inspire generations to come.

Also Read: Guwahati: Renowned Physicist Professor Dilip Kumar Choudhury Passes Away at 78