Eminent Assamese writer Surendra Nath Medhi, better know by his pen name Saurav Kumar Chaliha, breathed his last on Saturday at a private hospital in the city after a prolonged illness. The 81-year-old author, who won the prestigious Sahitya Akademi Award, had written several critical pieces on Assamese literature.
Considered by many to be the most innovative writer of Assamese short stories, Medhi had created a space for himself over the decades. He was born in 1930 and educated in Guwahati and London University before joining Assam Engineering College as a Physics professor.
The news of his demise left his fans in deep shock. “It’s a great loss to the literary world of the state,” said noted scholar Hiren Gohain at Mehdi’s funeral service.