Works
Though Borgohain has penned many controversial and thought provoking works like Subala, Pita Putra, Timirtirtha, Kushilab, the novels in which he most successfully scans the existence of man with all its complexities are Astarag and Edinar Diary. In Astarag, Borgohain shows us what it means to be alive in a world a full of pain and suffering. The heartrending agony of old age is portrayed so vividly in the novel that the readers are drowned in a well of sympathy for both Dilip and his father. Borgohain strives to prove the truth that life is an indefinite reprieve from death and to be alive is to gradually wither away.
In Edinar Diary, Borgohain goes one step forward and tries to understand the essence of existence with a philosopher’s profound quest for truth. Borgohain is a widely read man and the gems of his erudition are scattered throughout the pages of the book which help us to come to terms with our existence in a better way. The sense of alienation, despair, boredom all find manifestations in that particular work and we close the book with an enhanced understanding of our existence. As one character, Aditya Baruah says towards the end of the novel – “Life must be having a meaning; I will endeavour to find out that meaning from today”.
He wrote all the novels after doing a great amount of research. Some of his novels contain a part of his life. Pita Putra, Astarag,Saudar Puteke Nao Meli Jai are such examples. Matsyagandha, is one of his most famous works—the story of Menaka, a lower caste woman. It was made into a major motion picture with Nikumoni Barua in the lead character.
Currently, he serves as the editor of Amar Asom, the most prestigious daily newspaper in Assam. He is known to encourage and discover a host of new writers in Assam who are established names in Assam now; such as Anuradha Sharma Pujari, Manikuntala Bhattacharya, Pranab Kumar Barman, Jayanta Saikia, Anamika Bora, Archana Borthakur, Dhanada Devi, Aruni Kashyap, Nirmal Sahewalla, Pranay Phukan and many more. Indira Goswami mentions fondly how she was encouraged by Homen Borgohain to write her autobiography, which went on to become a legendary book in Assamese literature. Homen Borgohain's style of personal essays, that effortlessly combines with the social and the political is called "Homenism" by a critic in Satsori journal, one of many literary publications he founded and edited.
Recently,he established an organization to help the physically and mentally handicapped people,named as "KARUNADHARA"Read more about this topic: Homen Borgohain
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