Pradip Baruah


Pradip Baruah was a writer, journalist, and editor of the fortnightly magazine Prantik in Assam, India. He was involved in the field of Assamese literature and journalism for more than four decades. Pradip Baruah is the third and youngest son of Radha Govinda Baruah, the modern social reformer and the founder of The Assam Tribune newspaper. After graduation, Baruah joined the English newspaper founded by his father.
In 1964, Baruah co-founded a cultural group named Madhuchayanika with a group of like-minded friends, reflecting his interest in cultural activities.
He founded the fortnightly magazine Prantik on 1 December 1981. Dr. Bhabendra Nath Saikia was the founder editor of the magazine. Baruah served as the editor and publisher of Prantik from 1997 until his death.
Pradip Baruah had received several notable honors and recognitions including the Sadin Literature and Journalism Award,and the Kamal Kumari Award.
'Swagatokti' is his autobiography published in 2018.

Birth, Family and Education

Pradip Baruah was born on 3 September 1938 in Amolapatty, Dibrugarh, Assam. He was the youngest son of Radha Govinda Baruah and Lily Baruah. Radha Govinda Baruah was a prominent Assamese businessman, social reformer, and cultural and sports activist. He founded The Assam Tribune newspaper group and also established Dainik Asam and the weekly Asam Bani. The Nehru Stadium in Guwahati was constructed under his supervision.
Pradip Baruah’s elder brothers were Tualsi Govinda Baruah, who served as Chairman of The Assam Tribune, and Prafulla Govind Baruah, a journalist and Managing Director of the same newspaper group. He had four sisters in total.
Baruah began his schooling at Don Bosco School, Guwahati, where he completed his Metriculate examination. He later enrolled in Cotton College in the science stream. During his first year of the Intermediate in Science, he was elected Secretary of the Light Sports Department in the Chhatra Ekta Sabha elections.
He completed his ISc examination in 1958 and subsequently enrolled at Banaras Hindu University. Due to unforeseen circumstances, including the prevailing agitation, Baruah returned to Assam and resumed his studies at Cotton College, where he completed his graduation. Following this, he joined The Assam Tribune, the newspaper group founded by his father, marking the beginning of his long association with journalism.

Life

Assam Tribune

In 1960, Pradip Baruah joined the team of The Assam Tribune, a newspaper founded by his father Radha Govinda Baruah. In 1967-68 he traveled to Manchester and the Soviet Union to study advanced printing technology. He visited several news agencies in those countries. In 1981, he resigned from the Tribune.

Own printing press

After visiting Manchester, the Soviet Union, Pradip Barua started a printing press in 1977 with some old materials from the Tribune printing house. He published the books 'Gahbar' written by Bhabendra Nath Saikia and 'Psychedelic Dhekia' and 'Bijanu' by Nirod Chowdhury.

Prantik

On 1 December 1981, Pradip Baruah founded the Assamese fortnightly magazine Prantik. The founding editor of the magazine was Bhabendra Nath Saikia. Prantik featured several regular sections and published articles on a wide range of literary, cultural, and social topics.
Over the years, the magazine served as an important platform for emerging voices in Assamese literature and journalism. Several established writers and journalists, including Phanindra Kumar Dev Choudhury, Parag Kumar Das, Hiranya Kashyap, and Sourav Saikia, began their writing careers in the pages of Prantik.
In 1997, Dr. Bhabendra Nath Saikia stepped down from the post of editor due to health reasons, after which Pradip Baruah assumed the role of editor. He continued as editor of the magazine until his death, guiding its editorial vision and maintaining its literary and journalistic legacy.

Others

In 1964, Pradip Baruah formed a cultural group called 'Madhuchainika' with Bolen Hazarika, Apurba Kumar Das, Kalyan Bora, Khagendra Nath Dutta Baruah, Anil Baruah, Ratna Oja, Nirod Chowdhury, Akhil Deka and others. He was a serious admirer of Music.
In 1965, Pradip Barua became a member of the Narengi Lions Club.

Autobiography

Pradip Baroua's autobiography is 'Swagatokti'. The book was published in 2018.

Personal Life

In 1964he married Maya Baruah of Jorhat. They have a daughter, Rashmi Barua.

Awards and recognition

  • Prantik was included in the 'Special 10' of Jeevan magazine and Pradip Barua was honored at the Kite River festival.
  • The Sadin Literature and Journalism Award, from the Assamese Pratidin Group
  • Kamal Kumari Baruah Award
  • Birendra Kumar Bhattacharya Award
  • RN Baroua Memorial Lifetime Achievement Award
  • Assam National School Awards.
  • Radhikamohan Bhagwati Memorial Lifetime Achievement Award, 2024, from the All Assam Journalists Association.
  • Shridhar Barua Award, 2025 at the Charichong Festival in Majuli.
  • The Assam Jatiya Vidyalaya Foundation produced a documentary titled 'Prantik' based on the life of Pradip Baruah.

Death

Pradip Baruah was admitted to Down Town Hospital on 29 December 2025 due to age-related ailments. On 30 December, he underwent surgery for a hernia in the small intestine. Although his condition initially improved following the surgery, he later developed an infection and experienced respiratory complications, after which he was placed on artificial ventilation. On the morning of Wednesday, 14 January 2026, his blood pressure began to decline. He passed away later that evening due to cardiac arrest at 7:27 p.m. He was 87 years old at the time of his death.
Pradip Baruah was cremated at the Navagraha Crematorium in Guwahati on Thursday, 15 January 2026.