Sept. 5: Leading lights of the literary world and bibliophiles described the devastation at the historical Lawyer’s Book Stall as an irreparable loss for not only the city, but the entire state.
Most said the bookstall represented a priceless legacy left behind by well-known lawyer Bichitra Narayan Dutta Baruah during the days of the Quit India Movement.
“The Lawyer’s Book Stall was a heritage site for book-lovers,” a student of Cotton College said at the devastation site.
President of the Asom Sahitya Sabha, Biren Dutta, expressed grief at the loss of a pioneering institution of the city.
“It was the place which I visited regularly as a student and later as an academician,” he said.
He further said, “The founder of the Lawyer’s Book Stall was my uncle. The bookstall published some highly acclaimed books in the region. I wish that the bookstall be reconstructed as soon as possible. An all- out endeavour is necessary.”
He said the Asom Sahitya Sabha along with the Lawyer’s Book Stall was planning to publish some good literary work of Assamese writers.
“The Lawyer’s Book Stall has a glorious history of more than 62 years. Bichitra Narayan Dutta Baruah, the founder, built the institution with great courage and hardship. Since its inception, the bookstall catered to the need of the lawyers by providing the best law books and journals of the country,” Dutta added.
After the demise of the founder, his eldest son K.. Dutta Baruah took upon the cudgel to carry on the legacy of his father.
Under his leadership, many a well-known Bengali literary work was translated and published in Assamese.
Dutta Baruah himself translated almost all the works of Tarun Bhaduri.
Award-winning and best-selling authors of Assam of different periods were associated with the historical bookstall.
The list includes Banikanta Kakoti, Surya Kanta Bhuyan, Hem Barua, Birendra Kumar Bhattacharyya, Bhabendra Nath Saikia and Saurabh Chaliha.
Pulak Lahiri, renowned sports writer and a regular visitor to the place, said: “It’s a great loss for the literary world. We are poor today without Lawyer’s Book Stall, the place for the intellectual adda of our time.”
Amrit Phukan, advocate general of Gauhati High Court, expressed shock over phone from Mumbai.
“I have great childhood memories about Lawyer’s Book Stall. The bookstall not only had a good collection of books on law, but also stocked every literary work worth reading,” the advocate general said.
Columnist Eli Ahmed echoed him.
“Indeed, the loss is immense as Lawyer’s Book Stall had a rare collection of books. What we need is immediate reprint of all the rare books that were destroyed in the fire.”