OBITUARY
By Ratnajyoti Dutta
New Delhi, 16 Jan: I mourn the passing of Kabindra Purkayastha, my father’s lifelong friend and a formative presence in our lives. He died on 7 January at 95, weeks after his birthday. His loss feels deeply personal, leaving behind memories that resonate.
A former Union Minister of Communications, Purkayasthaji ranked among the earliest architects of the Bharatiya Janata Party in the Northeast. He chose public service over personal security, resigning as a high school headmaster in southern Assam to answer a national call.
Over a decade, he faced repeated electoral defeats with patience and conviction before winning his first Lok Sabha election from Silchar in 1991, riding the Ram Janmabhoomi movement wave. He later represented Silchar three times in Parliament and served as Minister of State for Communications in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee–led NDA government, which laid policy foundations that continue to influence governance.
In Assam, particularly the Barak Valley, Purkayasthaji emerged as a defining figure of nationalist politics. He often recalled how Guru MS Golwalkar shaped his worldview during the RSS Officers’ Training Camp in Nagpur in the early 1950s. I first heard those reflections at our village home near Silchar during visits to my father, his batch-mate from the 1951 camp.
I later met him regularly while covering Parliament for Reuters. Our conversations ranged from ideology and public policy to concern for my father’s health, revealing a compassionate man.
One visit remains etched in memory. He came to our Noida home to see my ailing father, whose eyes lit up in recognition. That quiet moment spoke of loyalty forged over a lifetime.
With his passing, we have lost not only a leader, but a guardian whose humanity gave meaning to public service.
(Ratnajyoti Dutta is a Delhi-based senior journalist.)
