File picture of Abani Chakraborty at a meeting before he went missing

Jan. 2: The city will play host to a unique birthday bash tomorrow where the invitees will be in attendance but not the person whose arrival in the world 62 years ago would be celebrated.

Family and friends of renowned poet Abani Chakraborty, who went missing in 1994, will get together to organise his 62nd birthday tomorrow at the Artists Guild at Chandmari to celebrate his life and work.

The organisers of the bash, unlike the state administration or Chakraborty?s employers the Life Insurance Corporation of India (LICI), are convinced that the poet is alive and would return home one day.

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.

Tomorrow?s bash will see, among others, discussions on his poetry and an exhibition of some of his acclaimed books. Apart from his famous collection Kabikantha, Chakraborty has published several poetry books.

Chakraborty was born on January 3, 1943.

?We are absolutely sure that one or the other day the poet will be back. We have full faith in God. We are still continuing the search to find him,? said poet and family friend Amir Tanti. ?This gathering of his family members, friends and well-wishers is a mark of respect for Chakraborty, who was a front-ranking modern day Assamese poet,? he said.

Wife Gayatri Chakravarty rued, ?Many a politician and bureaucrat paid visit to our place and assured us that they would make sincere efforts to find the whereabouts of my husband.

? However, all promises were in words and nothing has been done till date to gather any information about my husband and I am very dissatisfied the way the LICI where he worked reacted to the whole matter.?

Chakraborty had served in the LICI since 1962. The family members were quick to provide information to the corporation after he went missing. The LICI promised to pay back all his dues within seven years but nothing has happened till date. The corporation?s promises were not supported by any written documents, family members said.

Chakraborty was removed from his job in 1996 and none of his family members were given a job on the ground of compensation.

?The whole episode of is heart touching like his poetry,? said Tanti. ?We looked upon him as inspiration but his absence for the last 10 years and failure of the law enforcement body to carry on any action is really disheartening and I hope that the gathering will once again rejuvenate the hope of the return of the poet,? he added.