Dr. Bhabendra Nath Saikia (Assamese: ড˚ ভবেন্দ্ৰ নাথ শইকীয়া; 1932- 2003) was a novelist, short story writer and film director from Assam. He won many literary awards, including Sahitya Academy (1976), and was also recognised with the Padma Shri.

Biography

Bhabendra Nath Saikia was born on February 20, 1932 at Nagaon town. He passed his matriculation examination in 1948 and the Intermediate examination in Science in 1950, both with first division marks. He passed B.Sc. Examination in 1952 with honors in Physics from the Cotton College of Gauhati University. He received a post graduate degree in Physics from the Presidency College of Calcutta University. He obtained his Ph.D. in physics from the University of London in 1961. He also obtained a Diploma from the Imperial College of Science & Technology, London in 1961. He later worked as reader in Physics at the Gauhati University. He became a Member, Sangeet Natak Akademi, India.

Saikia edited the Prantik (প্ৰান্তিক), an Assamese monthly magazine, and a children's magazine named Xaphura (সঁফুৰা), both in the Assamese language. He was also the president of the Jyoti Chitraban which was for a long time the only film studio in Assam. He had the unique distinction of having won the National Awards for each of his seven Assamese films. For his services to the literature, culture and cinema of Assam, Dr Saikia was awarded the Padma Shri in 2001.

Having spent his childhood in poverty, Dr Saikia established the Aarohan Trust in Guwahati using the money he received from the Assam Valley Literary Award to provide free training to poor children interested in art, theatre and music. Dr. Saikia died on August 13, 2003 in Guwahati and is survived by his wife Preeti Saikia and two daughters. The Assam Government has named a road in Guwahati and a state award in his honour.