He’s a real achiever by dint of his expertise, intelligence and hard work. Deeply in love with his work, he would venture out even leaving behind his pregnant wife and two little children all alone in pursuit of his passion —work. Yes, he was Bholanath Saikia BEE (hons), GRM (UK), FIE (India), FIETE (India). A person with a positive frame of mind, Saikia was always approachable to the needy. Small wonder that he helped many to acquire education with his generous gestures, and he enjoyed helping people. A bright student who stood sixth in the HSLC examination of Assam, Saikia was always young at heart and lead a life of simplicity. Starting his career as an electrical engineering teacher at the Prince of Wales Institute, Jorhat. He later became the founder principal of Nowgong Polytechnic.

As a new police recruit, his mendatory drilling and discipline of a year’s duration at the Police Training College, Dergaon (PTC) was pared down to just four months for his hard work and grasping power as he had completed Army Signalling course with flying colours during his college career at Jadavpur University. PTC principal Imdad Ali had asked Saikia to propose a plan for electrification of Dergaon and its suburbs, and the latter, though fresh and young, drew up a detailed plan which was sanctioned by Ramnath Das, MLA and minister from Dergaon before Dergaon was electrified in three years.

Son of renowned mathematician Uparjan Saikia and Bibha Saikia, he also did his advanced course in radio engineering from Marconi College, UK in 1955-56. Also attached to the metropolitan and country police force in England, there he assimilated maximum information about the practical telecom working system of the country police and Scotland Yard. He had an interesting episode while at Marconi. With his sincerity and devotion Saikia could endear all. One day the Scotland Yard chief took Saikia on his official car to show their Queen’s security system. The next day it was published in the papers that one black has been held by police for some breach, which was, however, contradicted the next day and the fact was disclosed.

Back from UK, Saikia took pathbreaking initiatives for improvement of the very high frequency (VHF) communication system of the police communication network which was highly lauded by the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. His wide experience and working energy level helped him build the telecom working system of our Assam with the latest modern technology. Under his able leadership the APRO training centre became one of the best in India. Even the Central government opined that Assam prided having the most elaborate and beautiful set-up of communication training centre at Jalukbari. Saikia was offered to head the police telecommunication in India as its director in 1971, as a fitting tribute to his vast experience and expertise in the field, which he politely refused to stay in his native place.

It was nice to hear all these and more from the daughter of this great Assamese. She is Jyoti Das who has carved a niche for herself in her own passionate field — culinery art. A writer and columnist of recipes, she pays tribute to her illustrious father: “He was my guru, friend and philosopher. He inspired me in my works. He was an avid food lover from I learnt to love my cuisine and to go deep into it. He was so full of energy till his last days. He enjoyed cooking and loved to experiment new dishes. He was an inspiration for his children and people around him.”

As a genuine tribute to this genius, who passed away in 2007 aged 84, the BN Saikia Centre for Communication Research was inaugurated at NITS, Mirza on the occasion of his birth anniversary on October 23. An annual memorial lecture will also be held on this day every year. The research centre is the first of its kind in the country to exclusively develop communication and teaching aids for schools and colleges. These aids will be made available to interested institutions countrywide and possibly abroad through the concept of remote lab.

Simanta Bhagawati