North Lakhimpur, Nov. 5 -- Former acting president of the Asom Sahitya Sabha (ASS), Biswa Baruah, passed away at a private hospital on Wednesday after a prolonged illness. He was 96.

Born in 1930 at Sonarigaon, Garehaga, on the outskirts of North Lakhimpur, Baruah was a respected academic, writer and literary organiser whose contributions left a lasting imprint on Assam's literary and cultural landscape, particularly in Lakhimpur district.

Baruah cleared his matriculation examination in 1952 and went on to pursue higher education while beginning his professional career as a teacher. After earning the Prathama qualification in Hindi, he joined Azad Middle English School as a Hindi teacher. He completed his BA in 1962 and subsequently wor...