Silchar, Assam | The political landscape of Northeast India lost one of its most foundational pillars today. Kabindra Purkayastha, a former Union Minister and the man widely credited with planting the seeds of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Assam, passed away at the Silchar Medical College and Hospital (SMCH). He was 94.
Purkayastha, who had been battling age-related kidney and cardiac complications, breathed his last at 5:05 PM, surrounded by family and close associates. His death marks the conclusion of a life that spanned the Partition, the rise of the RSS in the Northeast, and the eventual political dominance of the BJP in a region once considered a Congress bastion.
Early Life and the Roots of Conviction
Born on December 15, 1931, in Kamarkhal village of Sylhet district (now in Bangladesh), Purkayastha’s early life was shaped by the trauma of Partition. After his family migrated to Silchar, he pursued his education with fervor, eventually earning an M.A. from Gauhati University.
His professional journey began in academia as the Principal of Ramkrishna Vidyapeeth in Sribhumi. However, his true calling lay in social service. In 1951, at the age of 20, he joined the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). His dedication was so absolute that he eventually resigned from his stable teaching career to serve as a full-time Pracharak, traversing the difficult terrains of the Barak Valley to spread the Sangh’s ideology.
The “Emergency” and Political Baptism
Purkayastha’s political mettle was tested during the 1975 Emergency. As a leading voice of the Lok Sangharsh Samiti, he organized Satyagrahas and underground resistance against the Indira Gandhi government. This led to his arrest under the MISA (Maintenance of Internal Security Act), resulting in 16 months of imprisonment in Silchar Central Jail.
This period of incarceration transformed the quiet educator into a mass leader. Upon his release in 1977, he joined the Janata Party as its General Secretary in Assam, and later became a founder member of the BJP in 1980.
A Milestone Career: From Silchar to Delhi
Kabindra Purkayastha’s name became synonymous with the BJP’s electoral breakthrough in the Northeast.
- 1991 Breakthrough: He won the Silchar Lok Sabha seat, becoming one of the first BJP MPs from the region.
- Vajpayee Cabinet (1998): He served as the Union Minister of State for Communications. During this time, he was instrumental in expanding telecom connectivity in the Northeast and was a key advisor to Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
- The “Mahasadak” Champion: He is fondly remembered as the “Father of the Mahasadak” for his relentless lobbying for the East-West Corridor (Silchar to Saurashtra) and the Broad Gauge railway conversion, which ended the “connectivity curse” of the Barak Valley.
Cultural Identity and the “Bhasha Shahid” Movement
Purkayastha was deeply connected to the linguistic roots of his people. He was a vocal supporter of the 1961 Language Movement and spent years advocating for the renaming of Silchar Railway Station to “Bhasha Shahid Station” to honor the 11 martyrs who died for the Bengali language. Even in his final years, he remained the moral compass for the party on issues of refugee rights and the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).
Family and Legacy
Purkayastha is survived by his son, Kanad Purkayastha—who was recently elected to the Rajya Sabha in 2025—and a daughter. His home in Nutanpatty, Silchar, remained a pilgrimage site for party workers, including current Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who viewed him as a mentor and the “Bhishma Pitamah” of the party.
His funeral, scheduled for January 8, will be conducted with Full State Honours, attended by national and state dignitaries.
