NEW DELHI, May 1: Kalyan Baruah, a Delhi-based bureau chief of The Assam Tribune, passed away on Friday and was cremated at Gurugram with adherence to COVID-19 protocols. His brother-in-law, Tapan Arandhara, performed the last rites on behalf of his family.
Tragically, his wife, Nilakshi Bhattacharyya, who was a journalist with The Times of India, succumbed to COVID-19 at the same hospital on Friday morning. The duo is survived by a daughter, who is pursuing her studies in Noida.
A pall of gloom was cast over the journalist fraternity, both in Delhi and North East, after the demise of the duo, who were very popular among other scribes.
A well-travelled journalist, Kalyan served as a member of the Press Council of India (PCI) for two terms. He was also the Joint Secretary of the Press Association and Member of the North East Media Forum.
Kalyan was only recently elected as a member of the Managing Committee of the Press Club of India. The Press Club of India also held a condolence meeting virtually.
Meanwhile, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and several other dignitaries have condoled the demise of Kalyan and Nilakshi.
“Deeply saddened to learn about the passing away of senior journalist Kalyan Baruah ji and his wife Nilakshi Bhattacharyya ji. Baruah ji will be always remembered for his comprehensive coverage of Lok Sabha. May god give strength to the family to bear this irreparable loss,” Birla took to Twitter and said.
It may be mentioned that Kalyan was a member of the Lok Sabha Press Advisory Committee and Central Press Accreditation Committee for several terms.