Veteran journalist and Padma Shri awardee Prafulla Govinda Baruah to be cremated with full state honours today

Padma Shri awardee and Managing Director of The Assam Tribune, Prafulla Govinda Baruah, will be laid to rest with full state honours at the Nabagraha crematorium in Guwahati today, December 15, family sources confirmed.

Baruah, 94, passed away on Sunday, December 14 night at Apollo Hospital following a brief illness. His mortal remains will first be taken to his residence at Chandmari, where family members and close associates will pay their last respects. Thereafter, the body will be brought to the office of The Assam Tribune, allowing colleagues, journalists, and members of the media fraternity to bid farewell to one of Assam’s most influential media figures.

The final rites will be conducted later in the day at the Nabagraha crematorium. Official sources said the Deputy Commissioner’s office will coordinate with the family to oversee the formal arrangements, including state honours. Most members of Baruah’s family have already arrived in Guwahati to participate in the ceremonies.

Baruah’s demise marks the end of a defining chapter in Assamese journalism. A towering presence in the region’s media landscape, he carried forward the legacy and vision of his father, Radha Govinda Baruah, the founder of The Assam Tribune, and played a pivotal role in shaping credible, independent journalism in the Northeast over several decades.

Tributes have poured in from across the country, cutting across political and social lines. Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal expressed deep sorrow over Baruah’s passing, remembering him as a stalwart of journalism whose contributions left an indelible mark on Assam and the nation.