Syed Abdul Malik

Syed Abdul Malik (Assamese: চৈয়দ আব্দুল মালিক, pronounced [soɪjɔd abdul malik]; 16 January 1919 – 20 December 2000) was an Indian writer and politician. He was a prominent short story writer, novelist, poet, playwright, biographer, essayist and travelogue writer. He is widely recognized for his vast contributions to modern Assamese literature, having authored numerous novels, short stories, poems, and plays. In addition to his literary career, Malik served as a member of the Rajya Sabha and was the president of the Asam Sahitya Sabha in 1977.

He wrote more than 2,000 stories for nearly sixty-five years. He is considered the pioneer of modern Assamese short story literature. He has written more than 25 collections of short stories. He also wrote about 60 novels, five collections of poems, three children's literature and 20 stage radio plays, translations, satirical essays and numerous articles. He received the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1972 for his novel Oghori Atmar Kahini. In addition to Assamese, Malik had etymologies in Bengali, Hindi, Urdu, Persian, and English. He was also fluent in Odia, Nepali, Arabic, Sanskrit and Russian.

Malik was born on 16 January 1919 in Naharni, located in the Sibsagar district of East Assam. He received his primary education in Naharni and later moved to Gauhati for his higher education, attending Cotton College. After completing his Master of Arts (M.A.) degree, he began working as a professor of Assamese language and literature at J.B. College in Jorhat in 1951.

Malik was a highly prolific writer, producing a total of 37 novels, 14 short story collections, 4 plays, and 2 poetry collections. His storytelling technique is characterized as effective and engaging, seamlessly weaving themes of romanticism, psychoanalysis, and social consciousness. His writing style is widely noted for its delicate sensitivity, empathy, and strong awareness of social issues.

While Malik wrote across multiple genres, he achieved widespread popularity primarily as a short story writer within modern Assamese literature. The majority of his short stories focused on the psychological analysis of urban youth. He was also known for portraying unorthodox and unique themes of love with immense empathy in his stories.

Some of his notable short stories and compiled collections include Shesh Upakular Seluva Par, Pran Herovar Pachat, Ovar Aru Upakul, Marha Papari, Parasmani (1946), Ranga-Gara (1953), Maram-Maram Lage (1961) and Sheel Aru Sikha (1961).

Following the Second World War, Malik wrote continuously for a span of about twenty years. He began writing novels after his work with short stories. His early novels, such as Rathar Chakari Ghure (1950) and Banjui (1954), initially drew inspiration from romanticism. Over time, his novels began to explicitly integrate psychoanalysis and social awareness, as demonstrated in his 1958 novel Chhabi Ghar.

His 1960 work, Surajmukhir Swapna, is regarded as one of his most important and successful novels. In Kapilipariya Sadhu, he focused on portraying fleeting beauty, while Jiyajurir Ghat (1960) was a novel that dealt with bold and slightly explicit elements deeply intertwined with human life. His other prominent novels include Kanthahar (1961), Anya Akash Anya Tara (1962), Rupatirthar Jatri (1963) and Aghari Atmar Kahini (1972).

Malik published two collections of poetry during his career, among which Phulsarjir Rati is highly notable. He also authored theatrical plays, including Rajdrohi (1958). In this play, he reinterpreted the historical character of 'Satram' against the backdrop of a popular revolution.

Beyond his literary output, Malik was deeply involved in public service and institutional leadership. He was elected as a member of the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of India's parliament. He also occupied highly respected positions such as the president of the Asam Sahitya Sabha and was an official member of the Sahitya Akademi.

In 1965, after being honored with the Soviet Land Nehru Award, Malik set out on a journey across Russia. He later compiled his travel experiences and published these recollections across various magazines.

Malik received many awards, including Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan, Sahitya Akademi Award, Sankar Dev Award, Xahityacharyya, etc. Malik won Sahitya Akademi Award in 1972 for his novel Aghari Atmar Kahini (Tale of a Nomadic Soul). He also received Soviet Land Nehru Award in 1965, leading to his travels in Russia.

He died on 20 December 2000.