Modern Assamese literature is characterised by novelty of theme and a striking narrative style. Kula Saikia is one of those few Assamese writers who has carved a niche for himself in the domain of modern literature by his signature narrative style and dignified subject matter. On the surface level, his stories appear to be deceptively simple, but looked at from a deeper perspective, they reveal a world of wonder, excitement and delight.

Saikia’s works invite deep and alert intellectual participation on the part of the readers and the emotional strain that runs like an undercurrent through the stories touches the heart and soul of the readers. Kula Saikia struggles with the ‘anxiety of influence’ (Harold Bloom) and if any other Assamese writer seems to have left any imprint on his mind, it is undoubtedly Saurav Kumar Chaliha. But Saikia does not follow the footsteps of Chaliha, rather he has created his own style. He has extraordinary command over language and a wide variety of themes around which he weaves his magic wand. The stream of consciousness technique is exploited by him in such a manner that it does not seem to be laboured.

He is an original writer because his themes and treatment of subject matter are not hackneyed, rather fresh, spontaneous and inventive. One of the principal characteristics of Saikia’s writing is his depth of perception and the imaginative touch he gives to the psychological exploration of characters. One hallmark of great literature is that it opens up many avenues of discussion and Saikia’s stories offer newer scopes of interpretation for the critics and common readers alike.

Saikia’s stories deal with ordinary matters in an extraordinary manner and lay bare multiple layers of narration which strikes the readers as ingenious experimentation. The majority of his stories dispense with the name of the locale in which the action takes place and thereby he universalises the consequences of the narrative. Kula Saikia does not merely tell a story, he puts emphasis on the technique of his narration and the shimmering brilliance of artistry elevate the works to the level of landscape painting. His characterisation is subtle and the urbane language works through the use of various effective images and metaphors. Saikia is a master in building the atmosphere for any sort of situation and the narrative grips the attention of the reader from the very inception.

Saikia’s stories, on many occasions, open up a world of discourse and the discursive design of the plot adds new vitality to the structure. Sometimes, a digression is offered within the stories but that seems to be a deliberate ploy and it does not hamper the artistic integrity of the narrative. Saikia’s stories highlight the relationship of literature with other interdisciplinary fields and the various allusions to the branches of mathematics, geometry, philosophy, science and metaphysics only suggest a deeper search for cross-connection. Saikia is an erudite personality and the extraordinary range of his output highlights an inquisitive mind ready to explore diverse sources for the satisfaction of his creative instinct.

In his story Paahar Bagalu, we find a clear example of intertextuality and the entire episode seems to be a dispersed meditation on imagination. Another story Hostelor Alarm Ghari was featured as the representative Assamese story published in the Hindi magazine Gyanodoy and the brilliance of the piece lies in its extraordinary use of the concept of time and the magnificence of its execution regarding the fleeting nature of time as an abstract philosophical notion wonderfully reveals the epiphanic pathos of human condition.

In another marvellous story Akau Bhut, a chance encounter with an old friend provides the occasion for bringing to light the importance of keeping past memories alive for the realization of the present and Saikia effectively juxtaposes the dicholomy between past and present and the ghost we encounter in the story appears to be nothing but suppressed or forgotten episodes in our lives. In Duar, we come to realize the wretched mental condition of a captive and the gradual erosion of dreams from memory brings to light a painful truth. In another philosophic story Andhar, we come across a particular thought process which reminds us of Vedic teachings, which is also supported by modern science. Saikia makes us realize the truth that light is only an interlude in the ceaseless play of darkness.

Kula Saikia has successfully shown his expertise in his only novel, Nirjan Dwipat Edin (One Day on a Solitary Island) which sings of the absence of ideology in an intellectual lyric. Bimal is a revolutionary who dreams of transforming his society by his visionary and radical ideas. He lives in a world of make-believe and moves further away from reality, thinking that one day his ideas would ignite others and a classless society will emerge, where there will be no corruption, inhumanity and exploitation. In spite of being given the death penalty, he somehow manages to escape from the prison, hoping that his co-revolutionaries and associates are eagerly waiting for his return. But all his hopes and dreams are shattered the moment he realizes that his allies have changed beyond recognition. Everybody around him has changed by making compromises in order to attain material benefits. Bimal becomes flabbergasted and dejected but finds nothing to cling on to. The final blow comes to him at that moment when he gets the news of his beloved’s suicide. He finds the world around him a solitary island, devoid of any friend and realizes the futility of his life. He returns willingly to the jail and is hanged. It is a pathetic story that also mercilessly attacks those morally bankrupt people.

Saikia’s works should be widely translated into English and other Indian languages so that readers of different linguistic groups can discover an original genius.

The Assam Tribune, 3rd May, 2008