Nalini Prava Deka

Nalini Prava Deka
Born(1944-03-11)11 March 1944
Assam, India
Died15 June 2014(2014-06-15) (aged 70)
Guwahati, India
OccupationAuthor, poet, storyteller, playwright, social activist, feminist
Years active1964–2014
SpouseBhabananda Deka
ChildrenAnkur Deka, Arnab Jan Deka, Jim Ankan Deka

Nalini Prava Deka (11 March 1944 – 15 June 2014) was an author, poet, storyteller, actress and playwright from Assam, a state in India encompassing the Brahmaputra Valley. She was honoured at a 2012 gathering in Ledo by the Assam Sahitya Sabha (Assam Literary Society).[1] Deka promoted Assamese heritage, traditional customs, weaving and fabric art, cooking and folk music with her husband, Bhabananda Deka.[2] They researched traditional Assamese lifestyle, art, literature and culture.[3][4][5] Deka was the first female editor and publisher of a children's magazine, Phul (Flower),[6] and wrote 30 critically praised books.[2] All India Radio broadcast Deka's radio plays on issues related to women and children.[2][7]

According to the Assam Tribune, Deka has "been like an institution to our society" and "has contributed immensely to the cultural and economic spheres of our state".[7] Dainik Sankarjyoti, an Assamese daily published in Guwahati, described how she played a significant part in nurturing the traditional indigenous Assamese lifestyle and social ethos by promoting indigenous Assamese weaving traditions (maintaining taat xaal—hand looms for weaving mekhela sadawr and suriya chapkawn) and dheki (traditional Assamese crop grinders for rice and pithaguri.[5][additional citation(s) needed] Deka died on 15 June 2014 in Guwahati. ChaiTunes released a music video as a tribute.[8][9]

  1. ^ Online, Tinsukia. "Assam Sahitya Sabha 2012, Ledo". tinsukiaonline.com. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 10 October 2015.
  2. ^ a b c Sentinel, The (4 December 2014). "Documentary film, books on Bhabananda–Nalini Prava". Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 9 January 2015.
  3. ^ "Documentary Screening, Books Release Function". News Hunt. 4 December 2014.[permanent dead link]
  4. ^ "Principal Bhabananda-Nalini Prabha Deka Endowment Lecture". www.reviewne.com. Retrieved 21 April 2015.
  5. ^ a b Sankarjyoti, Dainik (27 February 2015). "Endowment Lecture on Principal Bhabananda-Nalini Prava organised". Archived from the original on 25 December 2013. Retrieved 8 August 2015.
  6. ^ Deka, Arnab Jan (28 February 2015). An Extraordinary Assamese Couple : Life & Socio-Literary Contributions of Prof. Bhabananda Deka & Nalini Prava Deka (1 ed.). Guwahati, India: Universal Books & Assam Foundation-India. pp. 38–40. ISBN 978-1-50845-889-0.
  7. ^ a b Tribune, The Assam (24 January 2015). "Remembering a scholar". Assam Tribune Pvt Ltd. Archived from the original on 28 January 2015. Retrieved 24 January 2015.
  8. ^ Malk, Music. "Chaitunes to Release the First Music Video – a Tribute to Assamese Writer Duo". www.musicmalt.com. Retrieved 8 August 2015.
  9. ^ "Bangalore based music company releases Assamese music video featuring Queen Hazarika and Jim Ankan Deka". reviewne.com. Retrieved 8 August 2015.