Poet Nilomoni Phukan looks at photographs of Abani Chakraborty at the exhibition at Artists' Guild on Monday. Picture by UB Photos

Jan. 3: Family members and friends of missing Assamese poet Abani Chakraborty have appealed to the government to initiate a fresh search to find him.

They also appealed to the Life Insurance Corporation of India (LICI), Chakraborty?s employers, to pay the family of the poet his dues.

The appeal was made by his close friends and family members who gathered at the Artists? Guild Gallery to celebrate the poet?s 62nd birthday today.

?On his birthday all the memories of yesteryears came alive and I simply could not stop my tears,? said Gayatri Chakraborty, wife of the poet.

?I appeal to the government to take up a search operation to find my missing husband,? she added.

The mood at the gallery turned sombre as some of the finest verses penned down by the poet were recited and enacted by Nitrayanjali Academy.

Two of his popular poems, Haathot Tuli Luwa and Puroney Aata Kabitargaat Aaoojee, reverberated in the air, bringing the poignant lines of the poet back to life.

Poets Nilamoni Phukan, Nalinidhar Barua, Samir Tanti, Nilim Kumar and others graced the occasion.

Cultural groups from Sonari and Majuli also recited various poems of the missing poet.

?We hope that the government agencies concerned will take necessary action to start a search operation to find the missing poet,? said poet Samir Tanti, who is a close family friend of the Chakrabortys.

?Ten years is a long period and I am surprised to see that the LICI, where he was working since 1962 till the date of his going missing, has done nothing to clear his dues,? Tanti said.

On the evening of November 12, 1994, Chakraborty left home for a stroll never to return till date. Family members lodged an FIR at the Latasil police station the next day. The news created ripples across the state.

A discussion on some of his celebrated poems was organised by the poets today. Almost all his published poetry books were displayed in the exhibition today.

Apart from his famous collection Kabikantha, Chakraborty has published several poetry books.