>Citation bot at 01:22, 17 March 2021

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{{short description|Indian litterateur, historian and activist}}
{{Use Indian English|date=October 2019}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2019}}
{{ infobox writer
| name = Ambika Charan Choudhury
| image =
| imagesize =
| alt =
| caption =
| pseudonym = Kamataratna
| birth_name =
| birth_date = 16 August 1930
| birth_place = Borpara, [[Bongaigaon]], [[Assam]]
| death_date = 4 December 2011
| death_place = Kamakhyaguri, [[West Bengal]]
| resting_place = Bongaigaon
| occupation = School principal Writer Historian Activist
| language = [[Assamese language|Assamese]]
| nationality = Indian
| citizenship = Indian
| education = [[Graduate degree|Graduation]]
| alma_mater = [[Cotton College, Guwahati|Cotton College]] [[Gauhati University]]
| period =
| genre =
| subject =
| movement = Koch-Rajbanshi language and culture
| notableworks = Ratnapeethot Ebhumiki, Koch Rajbongshi Janagosthi Itihax and Sanskriti (20110){{Clarify|date=January 2014|reason=What should this year be?}}, Sangram Singha Mahabir Chilarai (1983), The Koche Around the World (1991), Kamotapurot Mahapurush Sri Manta Sankardev (1982)
| spouse = Kuldabala Choudhury
| partner =
| children = 5
| relatives =
| awards = 1994: Assam Government Literary Pension 2003: Mahendra Nath Karan Award 2008: Bir Chilarai Award
| signature =
| signature_alt =
| website =
| portaldisp = yes
}}

'''Ambika Charan Choudhury''' (16 August 1930 – 4 December 2011), popularly known as '''Kamataratna''',<ref name="set">{{Cite web |url=http://www.sentinelassam.com/state2/story.php?sec=2&subsec=14&id=99088&dtP=2011-12-05&ppr=1 |title='Kamataratna' Ambika Charan Choudhuri dies, ''The Sentinel'', Guwahati, India, 5 December 2011. |access-date=6 December 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120612110218/http://www.sentinelassam.com/state2/story.php?sec=2&subsec=14&id=99088&dtP=2011-12-05&ppr=1 |archive-date=12 June 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref> was an Indian [[litterateur]], historian and [[Social activist|activist]], known for his contributions to the [[Assamese literature]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.sentinelassam.com/state2/story.php?sec=2&subsec=14&id=99245&dtP=2011-12-06&ppr=1 |title=People gather for last glimpse of Ambika Charan Choudhury, ''The Sentinel'', Guwahati, India, 6 Dec 2011. |access-date=6 December 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120612110230/http://www.sentinelassam.com/state2/story.php?sec=2&subsec=14&id=99245&dtP=2011-12-06&ppr=1 |archive-date=12 June 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="dy" /><ref name="te" />

==Early life and education==

Born on 16 August 1930 to a poor family, Nareshwar Choudhury (father) and Kashiguri Devi (mother), in Borpara village of [[Bongaigaon]], Ambika Charan Choudhury attended schooling in local Birjhara High school, Bongaigaon. He obtained a graduate degree from [[Cotton College, Guwahati|Cotton College]], Guwahati. After that he joined government services at [[Shillong]]. Later he changed several jobs and finally retired as Principal of Bongaigaon Normal School.<ref name="set" />

==Social life==

Choudhury always got attached with many social and political organisations. He devoted most of his life towards the development and promotion of Rajbanshi language and culture, also known as [[Goalpariya dialect|Goalpariya]]. He was an executive member of [[Assam Sahitya Sabha|Assam Xahitya Xabha]], joint secretary of OBC Xahitya Xabha, secretary of undivided [[Goalpara District]] Xahitya Xabha, and secretary of Koch-Rajbanshi Sanmilany. He was also founder of many educational institutions in western Assam. Choudhury was leading the popular demand for Schedule Tribe status to the Koch-Rajbangshi community since 1958.<ref name="dy">[http://www.dy365.in/news/news.php?aID=13316 Historian Ambika Charan Choudhury dies in accident, ''Dy365'' News Channel, Guwahati, India, 7 December 2011.] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120426031130/http://www.dy365.in/news/news.php?aID=13316 |date=26 April 2012 }}</ref><ref>[http://www.telegraphindia.com/1111206/jsp/northeast/story_14843006.jsp Bongaigaon pays last respects to scholar, ''The Telegraph'', Kolkata, India, 6 December 2011.]</ref> He was actively involved with the ''Sanmilita Jatiya Abhibartan'', which is facilitating the peace process between [[Government of India]] and the moderate wing of the rebel group [[United Liberation Front of Asom|ULFA]].

He died on 4 December 2011 in a road mishap at Tetultola near Kamakhyaguri in West Bengal.<ref>[http://www.assamtribune.com/scripts/detailsnew.asp?id=dec0511/state05 Historian Ambika Choudhury killed road mishap, ''The Assam Tribune'', 5 Dec, Guwahati, India.]</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://in.news.yahoo.com/scholar-dies-car-crash-000000285.html |title=Archived copy |access-date=6 December 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120611051636/http://in.news.yahoo.com/scholar-dies-car-crash-000000285.html |archive-date=11 June 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref> He left behind his wife, three daughters and two sons.

==Literary works==

Ambika Choudhury started his major literary journey through ''Ratnapeethot Ebhumiki'', a book written in 1961. He wrote columns regularly in ''Ramdhenu'' journal published from [[Guwahati]]. He had written more than 123 valuable articles and 29 books mostly on the [[Rangpuri language|Rajbangshi]] language and culture.<ref name="te" /><ref name="set" /> ''Koch-Rajbanshi Jatir Itihakh aru Sanskriti'', ''Kamatapurot Mohapurush Sreemanta Sankardev'', ''Xantirdut Hajrat Mohammad'', ''The Koches Around the World'', ''Koch-Rajbanshies betrayed'', ''Biswabir Chila Roy Sahitya Pratibha'', ''Rani Abhayeswari and Bijni Rajyar Itibritta'' are some of his notable books written in [[Assamese language|Assamese]] and English.

==Awards and honours==

Choudhury was a recipient of ''Bir Chilarai'' award, instituted by the Government of Assam. He was regarded the backbone of Koch-Rajbanshi language movement and was conferred the title of ''Kamataratna'' by many cultural and literary organisations.<ref name="te">[http://www.telegraphindia.com/1111205/jsp/northeast/story_14838982.jsp Scholar dies in road accident, ''The Telegraph'', Kolkata, India, 5 December 2011.]</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Choudhury, Ambika Charan}}
[[Category:1930 births]]
[[Category:2011 deaths]]
[[Category:Writers from Assam]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian historians]]
[[Category:Activists from Assam]]
[[Category:People from Bongaigaon district]]
[[Category:Cotton College, Guwahati alumni]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian essayists]]

Ambika Charan Choudhury - Revision history

>Citation bot at 01:22, 17 March 2021