TEZPUR, May 1 � Senior journalist, cultural activist, renowned social worker and owner and editor of the Assamese bi-weekly Mahajati, Pranab Kumar Sinha, passed away this morning at his ex-police line residence around 9 am.
Sinha, who was suffering from a prolonged illness, was bedridden. He was 72.
The senior journalist, who was like a pathfinder in the area of journalism in Sonitpur district, served in Dooradarshan (DD), UNI, PTI, The Assam Tribune, The Sentinel and The Telegraph during the 1980s. He was the local correspondent of PTI from Tezpur till his death.
Sinha was closely associated with many social organizations here, including Tarun Asom Sangha, Ban Theatre, Bengali Theatre, Sangeet Natakam, etc. More importantly, during 1962-63, Sinha started a revolution or sorts through the cultural platform Sangeet Natakam to stage different plays of noted playwright Prafulla Baruah with the help of noted artistes like Asharjya Kakoti, Dinesh Das, Nipon Goswami, among others.
He was also the publicity secretary of Prasangeek, a monthly magazine published from Tezpur during the seventies. During the Chinese aggression of 1962, he played a vital role in Sonitpur district.
For a long time, he served as the president of the Sonitpur Journalists� Union. Sinha also won the Best Journalist award conferred by the Sonitpur district administration.
His demise has cast a pall of gloom in the town.
Before the last rites were performed, his body was carried through the town in a procession allowing different organizations, including the Sonitpur Journalists� Union, Sonitpur Press Club, Tezpur Sahitya Sabha, Tezpur AASU, to pay their last respects to the departed soul.
