Guwahati: Dhubri and Guwahati are in mourning following the demise of Kalyan Purkayastha, a prominent political figure in Assam’s Dhubri district and the Zila Sanyojak of the Hindu Jagran Manch’s Dhubri unit. He passed away earlier today, April 29, at the age of 67 at the Dr. Bhubaneswar Borooah Cancer Institute in Guwahati.
Born in Silchar on July 1, 1957, Purkayastha’s political journey spanned several decades and involved significant roles in various organizations. His initial foray into politics began during the Emergency period of 1975-1977, which led to his arrest in Silchar for his association with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and subsequent imprisonment in Dhubri Jail.
Following his release, Purkayastha completed his Bachelor’s degree in Silchar before being sent back to Dhubri by the RSS in 1978 as a Pracharak. He later became an integral part of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) around 1986-1987, where he served as a state secretary. Party sources fondly recall his dedicated efforts in securing the first BJP MLA from the Brahmaputra Valley, Dhruba Kumar Sen, who achieved victory in Dhubri in 1991.
A significant milestone in Purkayastha’s career came in 1997 when he won the Dhubri Municipal election from Ward No. 6, representing the BJP. He went on to serve a full five-year term as the Chairman of the Dhubri Municipal Board. However, in 2008, he shifted his political allegiance and joined the Congress party, with whom he remained for seven years before resigning in 2015.
After nearly a decade away from the BJP, Purkayastha formally rejoined the party in 2017 at a welcoming ceremony held at the state headquarters, Vajpayee Bhavan, by the then state party president, Ranjit Kumar Dass. Upon his return, he took on the responsibility of Zila Sanyojak of the Hindu Jagran Manch’s Dhubri unit in 2020, a role he dedicated himself to until his passing.
Earlier this year, Purkayastha was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma in his mouth. He underwent surgery in Chennai and had been receiving ongoing treatment. Sadly, his health took a turn for the worse on Monday while he was admitted to a local nursing home in Dhubri, necessitating his transfer to the Dr. Bhubaneswar Borooah Cancer Institute in Guwahati, where he ultimately succumbed to the illness.
Kalyan Purkayastha leaves behind his two daughters. His death marks a significant loss for the political fraternity in the Dhubri region, where he will be remembered for his long and dedicated service to public life and his enduring impact on the district’s political landscape.
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