Indus Valley Times

By Prasanna Mohanty

The passing of eminent Assamese poet, translator, lyricist and literary personality Anis Uz Zaman on September 20, 2026, has left a deep void in the literary world. For us in Odisha, however, his death is not merely the loss of a distinguished poet from Assam. It is the loss of a dear friend with whom our State shared a bond of more than five decades.

Anis Uz Zaman had close literary associations with several of Odisha’s eminent writers, including noted Odia poet Dr. Phani Mohanty. Over the years, he shared his thoughts on poetry, literature and culture and highlighted the deep cultural affinities between Assam and Odisha. He visited Odisha several times to attend literary programmes, invariably accompanied by his wife, Shamim Akhtar. Their visits were occasions of warmth, friendship and meaningful literary exchange.

Anis was one of the senior voices of contemporary Assamese poetry. His literary journey began with his first collection, Agyate, in 1989. He subsequently published several important collections, including Godhuli, Seujia Joon, Ei Batediei and Dokmokali. His selected poems were also published in Bengali. His contribution extended beyond poetry to translation, children’s literature, literary criticism and cultural activities. His poems were translated into several Indian and foreign languages, including Odia, English, Hindi, Bengali, Tamil, French and Spanish.

He had a special mastery of the Japanese haiku form. His Assamese translation of Matsuo Basho’s haiku, Ejak Phular Dhumuha, demonstrated his command of language and his sensitivity to the brevity, discipline and philosophical depth of haiku. The work earned him the Amulya Chakraborty Memorial Translation Award.

His literary achievements were recognised with several prestigious honours, including the Kabyaratna title conferred by the All Assam Poets’ Conference, the Dhruvajyoti Bora Literary Award, the Gangadhar National Award for Poetry, the Amulya Chakraborty Memorial Translation Award and the Ganesh Gogoi Award. The Asom Sahitya Sabha also recognised him as Jatiya Kabi, or National Poet.

For Odisha, Anis Uz Zaman had a particularly special place. He received the Gangadhar National Award for Poetry-2022 from Sambalpur University, with the honour being presented on the university’s foundation day in January 2024. He was the third Assamese poet to receive the prestigious award, after Nabakanta Barua and Nilmani Phookan. While receiving the honour, Anis spoke with affection about Odisha and its poets and drew attention to the similarities between Assamese and Odia.

His visit to Odisha to receive the award became a memorable journey. Before proceeding to Sambalpur, he spent three days in Bhubaneswar and visited Konark and Puri. In a very real sense, he became a bridge between the Mahanadi of Odisha and the Brahmaputra of Assam.

His wife, Shamim Akhtar, an accomplished photographer, accompanied him on his journeys with her camera always close at hand. At Konark, she was fascinated by the magnificent Sun Temple and captured numerous photographs. She also photographed the landscape around Chandrabhaga and the Puri sea beach. Their visit thus became more than a literary journey; it was also a celebration of Odisha’s architecture, landscape and culture.

Anis himself was a gentle, sober and remarkably friendly person. Despite his stature in Assamese literature and the many honours he received, he remained simple and unassuming. His conversation was warm, his manner gracious and his affection for fellow writers genuine.

His literary stature grew steadily over the decades. He served as president of the All Assam Poets’ Conference and was associated with the Asom Sahitya Sabha. He was also associated with Gauhati University and had served as a member of the Assam Public Service Commission. His interests extended well beyond poetry to translation, children’s literature, criticism and cultural activities.

In his later years, Anis suffered from kidney-related health problems and underwent dialysis. His prolonged illness weakened him, but he remained connected with the literary world. On September 20, while undergoing treatment at a hospital in Guwahati, he suffered a massive stroke and passed away at the age of 79.

The news of his death was mourned across Assam. Writers, literary organisations and public figures paid tribute to him. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma described him as an eminent poet, translator, critic and orator and recalled his simplicity and positive personality.

In Odisha too, his death was deeply felt. Litterateurs paid rich tributes to him on September 20 at a book-release function at Vidya Bhavan in Bhubaneswar.

That perhaps is the most beautiful thing about literature. A poet may belong to one language, one State or one community, but poetry itself knows no boundaries.

Anis Uz Zaman belonged to Assam, but his literary journey reached far beyond it. His association with Odisha, his friendship with Odia poets and his affection for our literary tradition made him, in a very real sense, a bridge between two rich literary cultures of eastern India.

I had the opportunity to interact with this literary genius on many occasions. Every encounter with him remains a cherished moment. Odisha will remember him not only for his books, awards and literary accomplishments, but also for the person behind them — a gentle friend, a sensitive poet and a generous human being.

The literary world has lost a major voice. Assam has lost one of its distinguished poets. Odisha has lost a dear literary friend.

But Anis Uz Zaman’s poetry, translations, friendships and the bridges he built between literary cultures will continue to live.

May his soul rest in peace.

(The writer is President of Odisha Union of Journalist, acclaimed TV commentator, former member of Press Council of India and Special Correspondent of Rashtriya Khabar, leading Hindi daily and Chief Editorial Director, Indus Valley Times.)