It happened to be a compatible coincidence that two celebrated scholars of Assam – Dr Suryya Kumar Bhuyan and Dr Bani Kanta Kakoti, born in the same calendar year 1894, emerged successfully with master’s degrees in English literature from Calcutta University, took up teaching wholeheartedly, appointed as professors of English in the Cotton College in the same year 1918, although quite a few lucrative posts were close at hand for them. Will power and concentration on fixed pursuits played the predominant role in the achievement of respective goals for the duo.

While Suryya Kumar Bhuyan had the backing of his father, Bani Kanta Kakoti was deprived of his father’s love and care, who died before he was born on Nov 15, 1894. In the face of his strong determination, family problems could not deter him from marching ahead according to his plan. He stood first in the matriculation examination in 1911 from Assam Valley under Calcutta University and in 1913, astonishing everybody, secured first position in IA among the successful candidates of Bihar, Orissa, erstwhile Bengal and Assam under Calcutta University. Even though he could not shine in BA, contrary to his expectation, he did well in MA with a high second class in group ‘A’ and first class first in group ‘B’ from Calcutta University. It was a matter of national pride that Dr Kakoti received financial help from none other than Mr JR Cunningham, the then DPI, Assam, from his personal accounts for completion of his master degree as the state government scholarship was terminated for his not securing first class marks in the BA final.

In spite of being learned in English literature and phonetics, Kakoti decided to delve deep into the research works on the formation and development of the Assamese language, because of his innate interest and attachment to the subject, in the light of the great linguist Dr Sunity Kumar Chatterjee’s thesis Origin and Development of Bengali Language.

Dr Kakoti obtained his doctorate degree in 1935 from Calcutta University for his thesis – Assamese: Its Formation and Development. Incidentally, he was the first Assamese to obtain a doctorate degree from the Calcutta University. Prof Dr Jules Bloth of Paris University was one of the examiners of Dr Kakoti’s thesis and he was surprised to see that Dr Kakoti could produce such a classic from a place like Guwahati, where an atmosphere for research and related infrastructure was not available at that time. Dr Kakoti, in his thesis, contradicting categorically the notion that the Assamese language was the offshoot of the Bengali language as was made to be established by a section of scholars way back in the beginning of the twentieth century, established factually the originality of the Assamese language. Highly acclaiming Dr Kakoti’s laborious work, Lakshminath Bezbaruah asserted that the the Assamese people were grateful to him and he also admitted that it was Dr Kakoti who taught the Assamese language not only to the Assamese people, but also to the world as a whole. In fact, the Assamese people, according to Bezbaruah, are indebted to Dr Kakoti. For the unsolicited support and abiding inspiration of Mr JR Cunningham, the book was dedicated to him. The general recognition of the book was a great tribute to his hard labour. Dr Kakoti introduced himself to Assamese literature through his valuable articles and unprejudiced critiques in several contemporary magazines. It was Dr. Kakoti who introduced the first scientific style of book reviews in Assamese literature with his expertise of English and Sanskrit literature, after going deep into the subject matters of the books. Through his Assamese: Its Formation and Development, writings on the Mother Goddess Kamakhya, Vaishnavite myths and legends and Purani Kamrupar Dharmar Dhara, Dr Kakoti made genuine efforts to confirm the originality of the Assamese language, the religious traditions of Assam, and cultural relations of Assam with the rest of India since times immemorial. Dr. Kakoti’s thesis was a great contribution to the study of modern Indian languages. His thesis brought to an end the unwarranted controversy and unfounded contention as to the originality of the Assamese language once and for all. In the introductory portion of the book, the author traces the relations of the Assamese script with those of the Prakit language of Magadha, characteristics of the Assamese language, difference between colloquial words of Upper Assam and Lower Assam, the various sources of the Assamese script etc. in detail.

While the first part of the book, containing eleven chapters, dwelt upon different aspects of the phonology of the Assamese language, the second part, containing eight chapters, deals with the origin and root of Assamese words and the present status of language and literature. In Mother Goddess Kamakhya, Dr Kakoti analyses scientifically how Saivism in the medieval period of Assam got mixed up with Tantricism and assumed anomalous forms in religious places like Kamakhya. Dr Kakoti gave an account of the advent of Neo-Vaishnavism in the backdrop of the social upheaval of the early fifteenth century. Purani Kamrupar Sahitya – a compilation of fifteen critical works on ancient literature, including Borgeet, Ankia Nat etc., was an apparent reflection of Dr Kakoti’s deep scholarship. Dr Kakoti’s critical analysis of Madhab Dev’s Namghosha is one of its kind till date. Dr Kakoti authored a few other important books like Sahitya Aru Prem, Sankardev aru Kalita Jatir Itibritha. He also edited Aspects of Early Assamese Literature, which was published after this death.

On his retirement from Government service as Principal of Cotton College, Kakoti was appointed Professor and Head of the Assamese Department of Gauhati University. He was also selected as Dean of Faculty of Arts in 1949.

Predeceased by his wife on Sept 17 1952, Dr. Bani Kanta Kakoti breathed his last on Nov 25, 1952, leaving a void in the Assamese literary world.

Courtesy: The Assam Tribune (2007)