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The Department of English : A Profile

The Department of English constitutes an integral part of Debraj Roy College and its history is inseparably interwoven with the history of the college. In looking for the genesis of the college as well as the department, a glimpse at a couple of events of twentieth-century world history will not be irrelevant in view of their immense contribution towards creating a congenial climate and proper public psyche for embarking on programmes of social upliftment and intellectual enlightenment even in remote regions: first, the drifting away of the war clouds after prolonged hovering over the world and the coming true, in the establishment of the United Nations, of the Peace Lovers’ long-cherished dream of a global structure to give expression to man’s yearning for peace, and secondly, India’s liberation from the British yoke. People in this remote part of the world also experienced an electrifying sensation of enthusiasm to try to achieve social progress through the intellectual armament of people, especially the budding generation.

Generous tribute shall always have to be paid to those pioneering and leading spirits, who worked for the setting up of an institution of higher education at Golaghat in an effort to translate into reality their dreams of a new society, armed with the powers of the intellect and freed from the bondage of ignorance and superstition and the clutches of the forces of reaction. Their names have gone down in the annals of the institution for information of the subsequent generations.
The college won glory even at the embryonic stage when a very bright and promising student of the very first batch graduated with distinction. He, later on, became a towering personality in the academic and intellectual world of Assam and made a substantial contribution towards the advancement of learning as the Professor and Head of the Department of Political Science, Dean of the Faculty of Arts and finally as Vice-Chancellor of Gauhati University. This celebrated academic is Deba Prasad Baruah, the illustrious son of Golaghat. Ms Swarnalata Baruah, Professor and Head of the Department of History of Dibrugarh University and Mr. Atul Goswami, Reader in the Department of English, are two renowned intellectuals of Assam who graduated from D.R. College.
Over the years since the inception of the Department of English has been excellently discharging its onerous responsibility of catering to the curricular requirements of the pupils apart from popularizing English literature, a treasure of the world literature, and English language, the greatest medium of international communication.
It was a great privilege for the department to have the services of Mr E.P. Gee, an internationally acknowledged naturalist and author of the famous book The Animals of India as a faculty member and the presence of this renowned Englishman provided the much-needed fillip to the nascent institution.
Generous tribute should be paid to Late Firdus Ali, a distinguished educationist and to Late Makhan Prasad Duara, a prominent citizen of Golaghat town for their splendid services as faculty members.
Another scholar who deserves to be remembered with reverence is Joseph Minatur who, apart from serving the college as its principal, discharged duties as a member of the teaching staff of English Department.
R.K. Kohli and M.L. Dey were two intellectual luminaries who adorned the department as faculty members for a brief span and won distinction as teachers.
T.R.S. Sarma, a promising young intellectual, came from Mysore (Karnataka) to offer his services as a teacher in the Department of English and soon after his arrival, assumed responsibility as the Head of the Department. He went on lien to U.S.A. for studying in one of its universities and after taking an additional M.A. degree returned to resume working as the Head of the Department of English. He afterwards joined the Regional Institute of Education in Bhubaneswar.
Another celebrated academic who served the college as a teacher in English and subsequently as Head of the Department is S.M. Hussain. He came from Patna and made a substantial contribution to the development of the college. Mr Kuladhar Chamua, erstwhile Head of the Department of English, Mr. Pratap Bora and Mr. Ram Sagar Bora were the faculty members during the tenure of Mr. Hussain. Mr. Pratap Bora later joined Assam Agricultural University as a Professor in the Department of English and retired as the Registrar of the University.
Mr. Mridul Bordoloi and Mr. Jyoti Prasad Pegu, two brilliant teachers who served in the department for a short period, subsequently joined the Department of English in the Dibrugarh University and the Gauhati University respectively. Mr. Pegu subsequently got selected for Assam Police Service (APS) based on his performance in the competitive examination conducted by APSC. 
Mr. Kuladhar Chamua joined the college in the year 1964. A living symbol of devotion to duty, he assumed responsibility of conducting the affairs of the department as its Head in the year 1972 and continued to render praiseworthy and exemplary service for the growth of the institution till his retirement in the year 2001. Following his retirement, Mr. Ram Sagar Bora and Mr. Khitindra Ballav Hazarika assumed charges as its Head respectively.
 After the retirement of Mr. Khitindra Ballav Hazarika in February, 2010, Ms. Deepti Goswami became the Head of the Department and served the department in that capacity till 2013. She was followed by Mrs. Supriya Hazarika (2013-16 and 2018-21) and Mr. Hemkanta Phukan (2016-18) into headship. After the retirement of Mrs Supriya Hazarika in November 2021, Dr. Anindita Dey assumed the charge of the Head of the Department and continues to lead the department from the front. Currently, the department has a staff of five regular teachers and one guest teacher. The following are faculty members in order of seniority: Dr. Anindita Dey, Mr Anshuman Bora, Mr. Lakshminath Rabha, Ms. Prithwa Deb, Ms. Daisy Ingtipi, Mr Debashish Bhuyan, and Mr. Diganta Saikia.
It is noteworthy that it was the then HoD Mr. Kuladhar Chamua who took the initiative to introduce the Honours course in English and his effort was crowned with success when the required permission was obtained from Dibrugarh University. The course was introduced in 1972.
A few bright and promising pupils enrolled in the course. Arupa Patangia and Minakshi Bora of the first batch brought credit to the department by securing Honours and they subsequently took M.A. degrees in English from Gauhati University. Arupa Patangia has been a teacher in the Department of English at Tangla College in Darrang District. Recipient of the prestigious Sahitya Academy Award, Bharatiya Bhasha Parishad Award, and Katha Award for excellence in the field of literature, she is a prolific writer of short stories and novels and her works have commanded excellent acclaim. Minakshi Bora worked for some time as a teacher in English at Golaghat Commerce College.
Ms. Deepti Goswami, former HoD., of the second batch of English Honours course and Mr. Hem Kanta Phukan of a subsequent batch served in the Department and successfully completed their tenures in the college.
It is a matter of great honour for the Department of English that a good number of alumni of the English Honours course now hold prominent and prestigious positions in the academic and administrative fields.
Mr. Amio Bora held the position of the Chairman of Assam Public Service Commission. Mr. Deben Tamuly is the Deputy Director of Doordarshan Kendra, Guwahati. 
Mr. Dhani Bora, a noted journalist and writer, is a sub-editor of The Sentinel, an English Daily. 
Mr. Rajib Borua, a distinguished poet, is a Programme Executive of the Guwahati Centre of All India Radio.
Several Ex-students of the English Honours Course are now working as teachers of English at different universities/colleges in Assam. Mr. Siba Bora, former teacher in English, H.P.B. College, Golaghat, Mr. Deba Prasad Mishra, Bajali College, Ms. Indira Gogoi, Furkating College, Mr. Jugal Jyoti Bora, Morongi College, Mr. Probin Sarma, Ms. Mala Gogoi, Kamarbandha College, Ms Nandini Baruah, Golaghat Commerce College graduated from D.R. College with Honours in English.
Mr. Ponjit Dowerah, selected for Assam Police Service in the Combined Competitive Examination held in 2009 conducted by APSC and currently undergoing training as D.S.P. is another alumnus of the department.
Mr. Javed Akhtar Ahmed, a brilliant alumnus of the department is a German Language Expert, serving in Swiss Re Shared Services India Private Ltd at present.
Mr. Anupom Kumar Hazarika, a former student of the department who secured 1st Class 7th position in the BA Final Examination under Dibrugarh University in 2013 is working in the capacity of an Assistant Professor in the Department of English, Cotton University (formerly Cotton College), Guwahati.
The Department of English of D.R. College has made a substantial contribution towards the creation of manpower needed for employment in different sectors and this will be corroborated by the following partial list of alumni and alumnae with their positions shown against their names.
   
Mr Akash Jyoti Sarma, Asst. Professor of English, JDSG College
Ms. Himadri Shyam, Asst. Professor of English, Tengakhat College
Mr. Kancheng Shyam, Asst. Professor of English, NN Saikia College
Mr. Mukut Borkataki, Dy. Supdt. Excise
Mr. Pratap Phukan, B.D.O.
Ms. Mainu Buragohain, Sub. Teacher, Digboi H.S. School
Ms. Parijat Saikia, Sub. Teacher, Ghiladhari H.S. School
Mr. Ratneswar Bora, Sub. Teacher, Kuruabahi H.S. School
Ms. Nirupa Patangia, Sub. Teacher, Jalukbari H.S. School
Ms. Purabi Gohain, Sub. Teacher, Sarupathar H.S. School
Ms. Kabita Bora, Sub. Teacher, Khumtai H.S. School
Ms. Pritirekha Daimary, Sub. Teacher, Donka Makam H.S.School
Mr. Mukti Baruah, Sub. Teacher, Dhekial H.S. Schoool
Ms. Dipali Saikia, Sub. Teacher, Jamuguri H.S. School