Book Review: ‘Being Modern’ by Gunabhiram Barua

Book Title: Being Modern: A Biography of Ananda Ram Dhekial Phookan
Author: Gunabhiram Barua
Translator: Banani Chakravarty
Publisher: Vintage Books
Number of Pages: 264
ISBN: 978-0143466352
Date Published: Sept. 30, 2025
Price: INR 286

Book Review

“Being Modern: A Biography of Ananda Ram Dhekial Phookan” by Gunabhiram Barua, translated by Banani Chakravarty, stands as both a critical biography and a historical chronicle that vividly captures Assam’s cultural evolution during the colonial era. The book delves into questions of identity, language, and modernity, offering a nuanced portrait of Ananda Ram Dhekial Phookan as a reformer and thinker navigating the intersections of tradition and colonial influence. His advocacy for the Assamese language, commitment to education—especially female education—and pragmatic engagement with British administrators reveal the layered nature of leadership in a rapidly changing world.

Chakravarty’s translation enriches this narrative, highlighting Barua’s progressive ideals and contextualizing the author’s bold social stances, such as his support for widow remarriage. Through detailed historical vignettes and extensive documentation, the biography brings to life both personal and political transformations of the time. Its vivid scenes—from Calcutta’s colonial corridors to the heart of Assamese society—immerse readers in a world where reform, education, and social progress were inseparable from cultural negotiation. While the prose can feel dense due to the abundance of historical data, this very precision strengthens the work’s authenticity.

Readers may find themselves pausing to absorb its layered storytelling, but those who do are rewarded with a profound sense of place and period. The translation maintains the depth and complexity of Barua’s original vision, allowing modern audiences to engage with 19th-century Assamese modernity in all its contradictions and aspirations. More than a biography, “Being Modern” is a meditation on social reform, controversy, and resilience—issues that continue to resonate in contemporary discourse. Barua’s work remains significant not only for its portrayal of Phookan but also for its broader commentary on Assam’s negotiation with modernity under colonial rule.

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Its exploration of education, faith, and reform paints a compelling portrait of a society in transition. Ultimately, this biography is both a scholarly achievement and a deeply human narrative, offering readers a window into the intellectual roots of Assamese identity and the enduring quest for progress and self-definition.

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