GUWAHATI, Jan 24 - Eminent scholar, linguist and litterateur Sahityacharya Dr Golok Chandra Goswami passed away at a city nursing home this morning.
He was 96 and had been suffering from old-age ailments. He was admitted to hospital on January 2.
Born to Paramananda Deva Goswami and Damayanti Devi of Daipara Sattra under Mayong revenue circle on November 15, 1923, Goswami did his matriculation in 1944 from Raha High School with Star marks and Letters in four subjects. After completing ISC with government scholarship from Cotton College (then under Calcutta University) with first division in 1946, he graduated from the same college in 1948. He capped it with a first class first position in Assamese (Linguistics) from Gauhati University (GU) in 1953. He obtained his doctorate degree from GU for his thesis �Structure of the Assamese Language� in 1967.
A great linguist who has left his indelible imprint on his chosen field and made seminal contributions to the cause of Assamese language, Goswami had his tutelage under the pioneering linguist Dr Banikanta Kakati.
It was Goswami who later edited and revised Dr Kakati�s monumental work on the origin and development of the Assamese language, earning critical plaudits.
A Research Fellow in Linguistics of Deccan College from 1955 to 1956, Dr Goswami also had a two-year stint as a Research Fellow of Rockefeller Foundation, New York.
Dr Goswami started his career with a brief one-year stint as a teacher at Kamrup Academy during 1948-49, following which he joined the newspaper Natun Asomiya as senior sub-editor on May 20, 1950 and continued till July 31, 1954. The same year he joined the Assamese Dept of GU as lecturer and retired as Head of the Dept on August 1, 1985.
Dr Goswami has left behind a vast repertoire of original and works which include �An Introduction to Assamese Phonology�, �Structure of Assamese�, �Dhvani Bigyanar Bhumika�, �Asomiya Barna Prakash�, �Asomiya Golok Byakaran: Prabodh Bhag�, �Asomiya Akhar Jotoni�, �Asomiya Golok Byakaran: Subodh Bhag�, �Asomiya Byakaronor Maulik Bichar�, �Bhasha Bhashanika�, �Amar Bhashar Anusilan�, �Asomiya Byakaran Prabesh�, �Asomiya Bhashar Uchharan�, and �Asomiya Akhar Jotoni Samiksha�.
Foremost among his edited works is �Dr Kakati�s Assamese: Its Formation and Development�, besides �An Assamese Grammar� of Fr O Pavioti. Among his edited Assamese works are �Mayong Prasanga�, �Sudharmar Upakhyan�, �Bharator Mukti Juddhat Panbarit Rail Bogorowar Itibritta�, etc.
An accomplished translator, Goswami�s translated works include �Anand Sagar: Sri Krishna�, �Iswarar Bani�, and �Byakaran Mahabhasha�, �Jathartha Path: Jathartha Uttar�. He was also engaged in the publication of a Hindi-Assamese-English dictionary, a Hindi-Assamese dictionary, and �Bharatiya Bhashakosh�.
Dr Goswami was member of the One-member Expert Committee on Tribal and Minor Indian Languages constituted by the Govt of India during 1963-64, member of the Technical and Advisory Committee of CILL in 1969, Mysore, member of the Sahitya Academy Executive Committee in 1982-85, Life Member of the Linguistic Society of India, Pune and Life Member of Asam Sahitya Sabha.
A regular contributor to newspapers and magazines, he published over 300 articles.
Dr Goswami attended a number of national and international seminars on linguistics, representing Assam and India. He was the founder president of Assam Bhasha Bigyan Samiti.
His last rites were performed with full state honours at Navagraha crematorium attended by a host of luminaries from the State�s literary and cultural spheres.
He leaves behind his wife, three daughters and a son.
Governor Prof Jagdish Mukhi, Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, Asam Sahitya Sabha, Asom Prakashan Parishad, All Assam Students� Union, BJP Assam Pradesh, Assam Pradesh Congress Committee, AGP, AIUDF, etc., have condoled his death.