A POLYMATH IN UNIFORM

A decorated Assam cop has etched his name in the cultural landscape with his vast body of literary works, documentaries and short films, writes Prasanta Mazumdar

- Prasanta Mazumdar

EVEN as he dwells the dark corners of the criminal underbelly, this decorated Assam police officer has not lost his touch with the aesthetic pursuits of the soul. Inspector General (IG) Partha Sarathi Mahanta has been instrumental in busting several terror networks, nabbing fundamentalists, and bringing down drug cartels.

Law enforcement is his forte, yet he has also made a mark as a writer, columnist, actor, filmmaker, conservationist, sociologist and cultural activist.

Mahanta, IG (Administration, Special Task Force, Bureau of Investigation of Economic Offences and Traffic; Road Safety), has contributed immensely to Assamese literature and culture, his works spanning multiple genres prose, poetry and non-fiction.

He writes in both English and Assamese.

Born in upper Assam's Sivasagar district, this Assam Police Service officer of the 1993 batch learnt the values of social work as a schoolboy from his father Prof Sarat Mahanta's selfless service for the community. The boy was deeply moved and he got involved in social service.

During his college days, he had a penchant for acting, performing in amateur theatre. It did not take long for Munin Barua, a noted film director, to spot his talent and soon enough, young Paratha Sarathi began acting in Assamese films. He has acted in about 20 Assamese films and seven television serials. With time, he took to filmmaking too.

'Lachit, the Warrior', directed by Mahanta, won awards at 45 international film festivals.