Gurudev Kalicharan Brahma was a twentieth-century social reformer, social philosopher, and community activist from the state of Assam in India. He belongs to the Bodo community.
He was the son of Khoularam Mech and Randini Mench. His village was in present-day Kajigami village located in Kokrajhar district.
At that time, there were no good rules in the society of the Boros. The Boro caste system was very turbulent. The Boros were a very backward community in the state of Assam. They did not get education due to which they remained backward as a community in every field.
At that time, in the name of religious devotion, the Boros used to spend lavishly. They did not worship Dharma with proper rules, there was no discipline in worship. They worshipped night and day in the name of devotion, fighting with each other over food, drink, sacrifice, and alcohol. Therefore, Gurudev Kalicharan Brahma renounced his previous religion and embraced Brahma religion and preached in Assam. The Brahma dharma he preached was largely accepted by the Boro people.
He was the first among the Boros to bring about a new movement and change in society. It was through his efforts that the Boros were able to embark on a new path and achieve progress. Seeing his strength, virtues and knowledge, people at that time called him Gurudev.
In 1911, he granted people who had accepted Brahmoism the right to write “Brahma” after their names as surname.
Good etiquette in the community is essential for a happy life in the community. In leading a family, the leader or family owner must maintain discipline. He was well aware of the importance of education and finance for mutual love, mutual understanding and cooperation and continued progress. Therefore, he established schools in many villages, set up financial institutions, and gave techniques and ideas on how to do business in the market.
Due to his great love and affection for the Boro community, he urged the Boro children to be educated on how to develop the Boro community. Parents were urged to drop their children at school.
In 1919, with some educated students, he formed the ‘Boro Students’ Association ‘which is known as’ Borosatra Sanmilan ‘in Boro history. Prominent Boro leaders like Rupnath Brahma, Satish Chandra Basumatary, Sabaram Brahma and Madaram Brahma were its leaders. With the advice and encouragement of Gurudev, the leaders of this organization worked for the revival and promotion of the Boro language, literature and culture.
Gurudev was also well-versed and skilled in politics. He was able to act with a sense of urgency about the future survival of the Boros. He went to Shillong, then the capital of Assam, in 1929 to submit a memorandum to the Simon Commission for the political rights of the Boros. Because of this, to this day, the Boros remain a significant and privileged community in India. It was with Gurudev’s advice and encouragement that Rupnath Brahma became the first minister of Assam among the Boros.
Since 2009, the Government of Assam has been conferring the National Award in the name of Gurudev Kalicharan Brahma biennially. The first recipient of the award was eminent linguist Dr. Pramod Chandra Bhattacharjee.
Gurudev Kalicharan Brahma Award in his name by Gurudev Kalicharan Brahma Trust since 2018. The award was first presented to Jogeswar Brahma, a propagator of Brahma religion, on the occasion of the 159th birth anniversary of Gurudev Kalicharan Brahma, held on 18th April 2018 at Bodoland University.
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