Guwahati, December 14, 2025 – Renowned journalist and Padma Shri recipient Prafulla Govinda Baruah, the doyen of Assamese media and Managing Director of The Assam Tribune Group, passed away on Saturday night due to age-related complications. He was 93.
Baruah breathed his last at around 9:40 PM at Apollo Hospital in Guwahati, where he had been undergoing treatment for nearly a week. He is survived by his wife and two daughters.
The news of his demise has plunged the journalism community in Assam and the Northeast into deep mourning. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma expressed profound grief, describing Baruah as a “towering figure in Assam’s journalistic landscape.”
Born on July 26, 1932, in Dibrugarh, Prafulla Govinda Baruah was the son of legendary figure Radha Govinda Baruah, the founder of The Assam Tribune – the oldest English daily in Northeast India, established in 1939. Inheriting his father’s legacy, P.G. Baruah played a pivotal role in strengthening the foundations of Assamese media, leading the newspaper group for decades and elevating it to greater heights.
In recognition of his immense contributions to journalism, literature, education, and society, the Government of India conferred upon him the prestigious Padma Shri, the country’s fourth-highest civilian honour, in 2018. Earlier this year, he was also awarded an honorary Doctorate by Krishnakant Sandikai State Open University.
Family sources informed that Baruah’s mortal remains will be kept in Guwahati on Monday for admirers to pay their last respects, following which his last rites will be performed.
Baruah’s passing marks an irreplaceable loss to Assam’s media fraternity. His lifelong dedication to ethical, independent journalism and the development of regional media will be remembered forever.
