GUWAHATI: Mayur Bora is a critically acclaimed writer with 14 books to his credit. Mayur started writing during his school days and now writes in both Assamese and English. He has also translated short stories by noted litterateur Dilip Bora into English which was published in the form of a book titled “All Those Yearnings.” As a popular motivational speaker and social commentator, he has already made his mark across the state of Assam.
Mayur has his roots in Nagaon where he was born. But he grew up in Guwahati and only visited Nagaon during holidays. Here, he began formal education in Sacred Heart School and later joined Nizorapar LP School. When Mayur was in the fourth grade, he appeared for the LP Scholarship program in which he stood first. But then the Assam Agitation took place and he lost a year.
Later, in 1981, Mayur joined Cotton Collegiate Higher Secondary School for matriculation. He went on to study in the science stream at Cotton College. The bright student that he was, Mayur got selected in most of the prestigious Regional Engineering Colleges (now National Engineering College) but instead, he joined Hansraj College under the University of Delhi to study History and Philosophy.
After graduating, Mayur started preparing for competitive examinations. After getting selected in multiple central government and banking jobs, he finally joined National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) as an assistant manager. For over the past 20 years, he has been associated with NABARD and currently holds the post of Deputy General Manager.
Working with NABARD, he has been posted at various places across the country including Lucknow, Chandigarh, Jorhat and Guwahati. Presently, he is posted on deputation at the Indian Institute of Bank Management (IIBM).
Speaking to G Plus about finding his calling as a writer, Mayur said, “I first started writing when I was around 10 years old. My first essay got published in the Xofura magazine and it motivated me to pursue writing further.
Mayur mostly dabbles in non-fiction, writing on a vast range of issues like westernization, casteism and the National Register of Citizens (NRC). When the national media was busy focusing on the NRC, Mayur wrote a counter narrative giving the perspective of the indigenous people of Assam. The article went viral; it was shared by people from across the globe. Mayur is associated with some of the leading regional as well as national newspapers for whom he writes opinion pieces and these include Firstpost, Deccan Herald, Economic Times, Orissa Post, Assam Tribune and The Sentinel among others.
He is also a known face on Assamese television. A commentator in Assamese and English, Mayur loves to deliver speeches. Calling a spade a spade is the defining trait of his writing and speeches. His candor has sometimes created controversies, but his underlying logic has often ultimately helped drive his argument home.
“I believe that the real tussle is between truth and propaganda and not between the ‘isms’ of the world. In this post-truth world, I feel that truth is perpetually on trial and rehabilitating the truth is the most serious challenge staring at the face of mankind,” Mayur, who holds very strong opinions about various issues and is vocal about them, told G Plus.
Additionally, Mayur has delivered speeches at over 70 colleges and almost all the universities in the Brahmaputra Valley. His books have also been selected as part of the syllabus and competitions at various educational institutes, a recognition he is very content with.
For his works in the field of literature, Mayur has been conferred with many prestigious awards including the Sahitya Sabha Award, Karmabir Chandranath Sharma Award and Dr Moidul Islam Bora Xahitya Award. Among his most well received books are Axomiya Swabhimanor Ruprekha and Abegar Kunwari Phali.
Son of Late Bharat Chandra Bora who retired as a deputy secretary in the government of Assam and Late Baralata Bora, Mayur currently lives in Guwahati with his wife Ranjita and their two children – Debasmit and Pracheeta.