Dhubri, Dec. 5: A large number of people paid floral tribute to renowned historian and researcher on the Koch Rajbongshi community, Ambika Charan Choudhury, at his Borpara residence in Bongaigaon town since last night.

The last rites of Choudhury will be performed here on the premises of the Ratnapith Publication office, owned by the scholar, at Borpara in Bongaigaon town, soon after his son arrives from Ahmedabad today.

Choudhury died in a road mishap near Kumarganj on National Highway 31 (C) while going to Cooch Behar to attend a seminar on Koch Rajbongshi Language, Culture and Literacy Research Organisation.

The chief convener of the organisation, Biswajit Roy, condoled Choudhury’s death and said the scholar was an authority on Koch Rajbongshi history and culture.

Choudhury was a teacher by profession and retired as principal of the Normal School in Bongaigaon.

“Choudhury was widely respected for his contribution to Assamese literature. He penned 32 books on different subjects and contributed regularly to local and state-based journals published in Assam and Bengal,” Roy added.

The scholar was also the founder secretary of the Koch Rajbongshi Sanmilani formed in 1960 and first raised the demand to include the Koch Rajbongshi community in the Scheduled Tribes list.

Sources said Choudhury also attended the international conference of the Koch Rajbongshi community in Kathmandu in the eighties, accompanying Purna Narayan Singha, the then Tezpur MP.

He was conferred the state Kamata Ratna Chilarai Award for his outstanding research and contribution to Assamese literature.

He contested the post of the president of the Asam Sahitya Sabha three times.

He also adorned the chair of many institutions, including the Ratnapith publication and the president of the governing body of Bongaigaon Birjhara College.

He was born in 1930 in Bongaigaon.