Kamal Kumar Brahma was an Indian Bodo playwright, translator, linguist, social worker, poet and academician. He is widely regarded as the greatest playwright in the history of Bodo literature.
Early Life: Kamal Kumar Brahma was born on 2nd August 1929 at Dhouliguri village in Goalpara district (Now Kokrajhar district). He was the the son of Madaram Brahma, the first Padmashree Award winner among the Bodo community from the Government of India, and Rupeswari Brahma, a housewife.
Kamal Kumar Brahma spent his childhood in Bhabanipur village of Bongaigaon district (present Chirang district).
His early education started from Bongaigaon. In 1955, he completed his matriculation and then pursuing his higher education. He did his graduation and post-graduation in 1958 and 1963 from Gauhati University, Guwahati. After complete the education, he was became a teacher in Kokrajhar High School, Kokrajhar and Kokrajhar Govt. College, and also the principal of Kokrajhar Basic Training School.
Marriage Life: He was married to Milabathi Brahma, the daughter of Parmeswar Brahma of Bandoguri village, Kokrajhar. They have got seven children for their future.
Literary Career: Kamal Kumar Brahma was started his writing career since his school life. His literary contribution to Bodo as well as Assamese literature is considered to be valuable. He is one of the greatest playwrights in the history of modern Bodo literature. He was inspired by his Madaram Brahma, Rupnath Brahma and Satish Chandra Basumatary.
As a playwright he credit more than six plays both family drama and historical, namely Gwdan Fwisali (1959), Gwrwnthini Unao (Unpublished-1964), Mandarni Mwdwi (Unpublished-1967), Mimangni Simang (1977), Raja Eragdao (1978), Gwswni Jaiklong (1986), Horbadi Khwmsi (1993) etc.
In the history of Bodo literature, he was the first Bodo playwright to write using new techniques and reflect the picture of the new Bodo society. His play ‘Gwdan Fwisali’ is considered one of the best examples of modern Bodo language plays. His book of plays titled Raja Eragadao is a notable historical work. The story of the unfortunate death of the last king of the Bodos, Gobinda Chandra or King Eragdao, and the loss of the Bodo kingdom is narrated here. The Lwrgi Theatre Group of Kokrajhar has performed it at various places and has received a lot of appreciation from the audience.
As a poet he published two poetry book both Bodo and Assamese language including- Dulali (Assamese-1954) and Amarni Methai (2000). The second book poetry was translated by him into Bodo from the book ‘The Rubaiyat of Amar Khayyam’ original book written by Omar Khayyam. He was also a grammarian as well as the first Bodo grammarian in the history of Bodo language. He published two books written about Bodo language namely Gibi Raokhanthi (1968) and Gwnang Raokhanthi (1972).
A poem ‘Angni Gami’ is one of the best poems composed by him where he looks back at his childhood memories as an adult. He compares his childhood experiences with his life now. He talks about how people’s thoughts and actions have change over time and how much society has changed. As a kid, he used to play with friends, watch villagers work together, and enjoy fun times through community events like Bwisagu festival, Domasi festival and Saori janai etc. But he feels sad that this kind of fun and teamwork isn’t around anymore in his villgage. At present society, people mostly keep to themselves. Everyone thinks more about themselves, and cooperation and togetherness have faded among the villagers.
As an academician, he really put a lot into handling the Bodo language and education. He worked non-stop to set up the Bodo medium school and published the textbooks needed for teaching there. He also edited so many of the Bodo books used in the school.
He was also the Secretary of Bodo Textbook Production Committee from 1963 to 1975. He also served as the academic officer of the Assam Textbook Production and Publication Board. In 1990, he was elected as a president of Bodo Sahitya Sabha.
Culture: He was also worked and dedicated his whole life for development of Bodo culture and Bodo cinema. He was closely related to the first Bodo cultural organization named ‘Bithorai Afad’ which was formed in the year 1952. It was this organization that the cultural movement started among the Bodo community. The organization put on various plays for the Bodo people in school, colleges and villages. Through this cultural movement, songwriters wrote songs, playwright wrote plays, and students who could sing got the change to sing. Many actors and actresses got change to perform in the plays and made a name for themeselves in the cultural scene. He also one of the active leaders of the Bodo movement.
In 1983, he was became the president of Bodo Film Society, which was the first Film Company in the history of Bodo cinema. He was the script-writer for Daina (1984), the first documentary film in the history of Bodo cinema, directed by Amar Hazorika, and Jiuni Simang (1987), the second feature film in the history after Alayaron, which was directed by Jwngdao Bodosa alias Pradeeb Brahma and Screenplay by noted Bodo short story writer Nilkamal Brahma and Heramba Narzary in 1986. The movie Jiuni Simang was based on his full-length and most tragedy social drama in Bodo literature ‘Mimangni Simang’.
He was awarded the Rangsar Literary Award from Bodo Sahitya Sabha in 1997 for his most famous and best-selling drama book ‘Horbadi Khwmsi’. He was granted a literary pension by the Government of Assam starting in 1990.
The noted playwright Kamal Kumar Brahma breathed his last on 4th April 2006, he was 77 of age.
Brahma was dedicated his life to develop Bodo medium and school as well as Bodo literature. He always remembered the peoples in the region for his widely contributions to Bodo culture, language and literature.
•The Kamal Kumar Brahma Derhasat Banta is conferred every year to the top ten HSLC passing students from the Bodo medium school across Assam since 2006 by All Bodo Students Union.
•Kamal Kumar Brahma Central Library is located at Science College, Kokrajhar. The library was established in 1996.