When one heard those guns shots given to her as state honors by the GOI or when one saw her body being rubbed in turmeric as a final ritual, or to know that a countryman had cut his 50 year old chandan tree for her pyre, it was so heartwrenching. Tears couldn't be controlled. Neither did one want to control them. Within the span of a month, the Assamese have lost a Father in Dr. Bhupen Hazarika and a Mother now in Indira Goswami (or Mamoni Raisom Goswami or Mamoni Baideu to many in Assam with Baideu meaning an elder sister in Assamese). Her life was full of pain and how she humbled them everytime. Losing her husband, Madhavan (a south-indian) only 18 months into her marraige and she contemplating suicide from that grief but finally pulling out after going through once again the letters from her dead father to her (again whom she lost when she was a child) about doing something for mankind. And thus, she decided to dedicate the rest of her life to humanity.
She did great work in the feild of women empowerment for the happlessly exploited widows of Vrindavan and Mathura. Was a dedicated lecturer at Dehli University (retiring as the HOD of Modern Indian Languages), which offered her Professor Emeritus in 2009. Her research works the field of Ramayana is legendary. Her Book 'Ramayana from Ganga to Brahmaputra' which is an unparalleled comparative study of Tulsidas's Ramayana and the fourteenth-century Assamese Ramayana, is the symbol of that work. A massive volume of Tulsidas's Ramayana purchased during her stay there for just eleven rupees was a great source of inspiration in her research. One book of her not to be missed at any cost is, ' The Blue Necked Braja' which is about the plight of the Radhaswamis of Vrindavan who lived in abject poverty and sexual exploitation in everyday life, the plight of young widows for whom companionship beyond the confines of their ashrams and fellow widows become impossible and their urge to live. The novel exposed the uglier face of the city of Vrindavan - the city of Krishna, an Hindu deity, inviting criticism of Goswami from conservative sections of the society. It remains a classic in Modern Indian Literature! My other favorite books of her include, The Moth Eaten Howdah of the Tusker (Animal sacrifice in temple) Pages Stained With Blood (Sikh riots), The Rusted Sword, Uday Bhanu, Dasharathi's Steps and The Man from Chinnamasta ( a critique of the thousand-years-old tradition of animal sacrifice in the famous Hindu Shakti temple to Kamakhya, a mother goddess, in Assam), Jatra ( or The Journey based on the problem of militancy/secessionism that has affected almost the entire North-East India frontier ever since Indian independence) among numerous other works of her. A particular poem of her which caught the attention of many is the poem titled 'Pakistan' due to amazingly poignant nature of that peom.
From Jnanpith Award (country's highest litereary honor) in 2000 to a Padmashri in 2002 and a host of other national and International awards like the Ambassador for Peace from the Inter Religious and International Federation for World Peace, she had brought many laurels and accolades to the state and the country.
Hope she finds everlasting peace now for her innocent body was suffering for a year now being in a state of coma and not a sense of the fact that she was being sent in an air-ambulance from Guwahati to Medanta Medicity in Guragaon and subsequently brought, upon slight improvement. Blessed will be the soul who will see this world through her donated eyes. Hope that person sees the plight of mankinf the same way she did and does something for them. An inspiring tale is that of a 72 year-old lady village woman, who completed her Masters at that old age upon receiving encouragement, inspiration and financial support from Dr. Goswami to continue her studies. This among her many tales of service to the mankind. At the end of it all, just one arises question in my mind again and again which is Who will come over and fill the void left ?
She did great work in the feild of women empowerment for the happlessly exploited widows of Vrindavan and Mathura. Was a dedicated lecturer at Dehli University (retiring as the HOD of Modern Indian Languages), which offered her Professor Emeritus in 2009. Her research works the field of Ramayana is legendary. Her Book 'Ramayana from Ganga to Brahmaputra' which is an unparalleled comparative study of Tulsidas's Ramayana and the fourteenth-century Assamese Ramayana, is the symbol of that work. A massive volume of Tulsidas's Ramayana purchased during her stay there for just eleven rupees was a great source of inspiration in her research. One book of her not to be missed at any cost is, ' The Blue Necked Braja' which is about the plight of the Radhaswamis of Vrindavan who lived in abject poverty and sexual exploitation in everyday life, the plight of young widows for whom companionship beyond the confines of their ashrams and fellow widows become impossible and their urge to live. The novel exposed the uglier face of the city of Vrindavan - the city of Krishna, an Hindu deity, inviting criticism of Goswami from conservative sections of the society. It remains a classic in Modern Indian Literature! My other favorite books of her include, The Moth Eaten Howdah of the Tusker (Animal sacrifice in temple) Pages Stained With Blood (Sikh riots), The Rusted Sword, Uday Bhanu, Dasharathi's Steps and The Man from Chinnamasta ( a critique of the thousand-years-old tradition of animal sacrifice in the famous Hindu Shakti temple to Kamakhya, a mother goddess, in Assam), Jatra ( or The Journey based on the problem of militancy/secessionism that has affected almost the entire North-East India frontier ever since Indian independence) among numerous other works of her. A particular poem of her which caught the attention of many is the poem titled 'Pakistan' due to amazingly poignant nature of that peom.
From Jnanpith Award (country's highest litereary honor) in 2000 to a Padmashri in 2002 and a host of other national and International awards like the Ambassador for Peace from the Inter Religious and International Federation for World Peace, she had brought many laurels and accolades to the state and the country.
Hope she finds everlasting peace now for her innocent body was suffering for a year now being in a state of coma and not a sense of the fact that she was being sent in an air-ambulance from Guwahati to Medanta Medicity in Guragaon and subsequently brought, upon slight improvement. Blessed will be the soul who will see this world through her donated eyes. Hope that person sees the plight of mankinf the same way she did and does something for them. An inspiring tale is that of a 72 year-old lady village woman, who completed her Masters at that old age upon receiving encouragement, inspiration and financial support from Dr. Goswami to continue her studies. This among her many tales of service to the mankind. At the end of it all, just one arises question in my mind again and again which is Who will come over and fill the void left ?
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