Eighteen years ago on 17 November 1994, Professor
S. K. Acharya transcended into the spiritual world but his spirits are still alive.
A pioneer academic, economist and ethnographer, Professor
Acharya’s mission in life was the pursuit of new frontiers. He battled
tremendous odds to establish the Commerce College (The Shillong Commerce College), presented landmark studies
on the economic viability of inland water transport in the North-East and
industrialisation of Meghalaya, analysed trends in education, explored the
ethnic process of North-East India and at the end was engaged in researching
the possibilities of trade between Bangladesh and the North-Eastern states.
During his lifetime as an academic Professor Acharya held
prestigious positions as the first Chairman, Council for Under-Graduate Studies,
North Eastern Hill University (NEHU) and as founder Director, Institute of
Economics and Commerce, Shillong.
The Commerce College was founded in 1964 under the aegis of
Late B. P. Chaliha, then Chief Minister of Assam and K. N. Saikia, then Dean of
the Faculty of Commerce, Gauhati University. In line with the recommendation of
the Fifth Five Year Plan, the institution set out to fulfill the need of the
people of United Khasi and Jaintia Hills in the composite state of Assam. The
first governing body of the college of commerce was composed of dignitaries
like Mr. Jor Manick Syiem, then Syiem of Mylliem and a renowned advocate, Late
R. Z. Ahmed, I.A.S. and Late R. M. Parus, I.A.S.
Incredible financial constraints due to lack of any
substantial government grant led to the donation of the entire personal wealth
of both Professor Acharya and his wife Mrs. Shelley Acharya to the college resulting in extreme
economic hardship for the family. Despite this, the personal stature of the
Professor and his ceaseless efforts saw the gradual establishment of the
college as a premier institution of its kind and many of his students are now
luminaries in their own right.
Moreover, the college was accredited as the sixteenth
coaching centre and the only one East of Calcutta for the Institute of Cost and
Works Accounts of India, plans to introduce hitherto unknown faculties of
Banking and Insurance were mooted. Regular symposia with eminent local,
regional and national personalities were held. In effect, Professor Acharya was
a prime moving force in the transformation of Shillong Commerce College from
nascent centre of study into an institution of repute.
It is a measure of his ability that despite this total
dedication to the establishment of an institute of learning, he still found the
time to enhance the reputation that he had gained as a scholar. In the 1950s at
the behest of the Chief Minister of Assam he completed an exhaustive report on
the economic viability of inland water transport systems of the world for the
government of Assam, entitled ‘Inland Water Transport in North Eastern India’.
In the 1970s, following the formation of the State of
Meghalaya, he prepared ‘A Blueprint for Industrialisation of Meghalaya’and a
study of ‘Agriculture in Meghalaya, Mizoram and Mikir & North Cachar
Hills’. Insight of the academic scenario was provided by articles like
‘Professional Education in Degree Colleges’.
Commissioned by the Government of India, he conducted an
extensive survey of indigenous handicraft of the Khasi and Jaintia people.
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| Construction of the the building of Commerce College, Shillong |
He had also began his interest in social studies that was
ultimately to dominate the rest of his life. Thus, from a modest beginning in
articles like ‘Language of the Khasis’ (1971), he began delving into the
ethno-social revolution of the Indian people in relation to world-wide
evolutionary and migratory trends. This resulted in penetrating research papers
like ‘The National Question in India Today’ and ‘Trends in the Evolution of
Ethnoses in North East India’ and culminated in the definitive paper entitled
‘Ethnic Processes in North Eastern India’.
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| Staff of the Commerce College, Shillong in 1970s |
The final years of his life were impaired by debilitating
illnesses that weakened him physically but his mind never faltered and until
the end, he was deeply involved in the establishment of a Centre for Ethno
Social Studies (CESS) in Calcutta with the encouragement and support of
Professor B. B. Dutta, then Member of Parliament. His scope of research under
the Applied Economics Division of CESS was ‘Problems and Prospects of Mutual Economic
Cooperation between Bangladesh and Eastern and North Eastern States of India’.
It is to be hoped that the research work done by Professor
Acharya on this subject will not be allowed to go a waste.
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| Commerce College students on the fresher socials day in 1970s |
A multi-faceted personality, Professor Acharya had an
abiding interest in the creative arts. In addition to an extensive knowledge of
great Indian literature, he was a staunch admirer of George Bernard Shaw and
Shakespeare while T. S. Eliot was his favourite muse. No mean poet himself, it
was his intricate sketches that were a joy to behold for the minutiae.
In conclusion it may be said that Professor Salil Krishna
Acharya was a man with a mission and if the mission outlives the man, his soul
will rest in peace.
AIR Shillong News Broadcast on 17 November 1994
Some of his sketches
A couple of his letters
One of the many condolence letters from the Governor of Mizoram
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