Guwahati: One of the last remaining great writers of Assam, Chandra Prasad Saikia, was cremated Wednesday afternoon with hundreds of people flocking to his home and the crematorium to pay their last respects.
Seventy-nine-year old Saikia died of lung cancer on Tuesday night at 2010 hours IST after renal failure.
Doyen of Assamiya literature as well as the media, he was the author of some of the greatest novels in the Assamese language.
He gave journalism a new approach over a career spanning nearly five decades.
His masterpiece Maharthi fetched him the Akademi award but he made himself immortal by convincing the state government to change the name of the more colonial 'Assam' to colloquial 'Asom'.
He edited the now defunct daily Natun Dainik which brought in a fresh wave of journalism.
He also edited two of the most widely acclaimed literary magazines - Prakash for the Assam Publication Board and Goriyashi, which he edited till the last.
His cremation and the final journey were attended by almost everyone from Assam's intelligentsia as he was regarded as one of the last vanguards of Assamiya nationalism.
Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi led the state in mourning his death while political parties, students, non-government as well as literary organisation took part in the cremation.
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