Aparna Dutta Mahanta, Assam’s First Woman Doctoral Graduate In English, Dies At 75

Aparna Dutta Mahanta, noted feminist and Assam’s first woman doctoral graduate in English literature, died in a hospital in Guwhati. She was suffering from an old-age ailment.

Here's everything you should know about her

• She was born in August 20, 1946 in Sivasagar.
• She was the first female doctorate in Assam. She was also a pioneer in modern feminist movement.
• She was 75 and is survived by her husband
• Her husband Dr. Paramananda Mahanta is a noted scientist.
• She has a son and daughter also.
• She was an eminent writer, retired professor of English and former director of the Women’s Study Centre of Dibrugarh University.
• She completed her schooling from St Mary’s in Shillong and graduated from St Mary’s College.
• She completed her Masters in English Literature from Gauhati University as well as the University of Leeds under a British Council scholarship programme.
• She further pursued her PhD from Dibrugarh University in 1982 and became the first woman in Assam to have a doctorate degree in English.
• She worked as a professor in the English Department of Dibrugarh University
• She was also the founding director of the Women’s Study Centre in the same University
• She was an author of numerous books. She also launched an Assamese magazine Aideour Jonaki Bat.
• Employees of DU and members of Women Studies Centre (WSC) are mourning her death.

A month ago, India lost another great writer when Rajeshwari Tejaswi passed away. She was 84 years old and suffered from low blood count and fever in the last few days. After the death of her husband, she was the one who continued his legacy. The couple has two daughters. She had written two books called Nanna Tejaswi and Namma Manega Bandaru Gandhiji. She only started writing in 2007 after the death of her husband Poornachandra Tejaswi.

Suggested Reading : Kannada Writer Rajeshwari Tejaswi Passed Away At 84