Kuladhar Saikia has donned many hats: a former consultant at World Bank, a writer who bagged the prestigious Sahitya Akademi Award for his short story collection, an IPS officer who went on to become Assam's top cop and now elected to head the state's top literary body.
As the former director general of police (DGP) of Assam, he is credited with efficient handling of the situation to ensure law and order in the wake of the publication of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and the wide scale of protests in the state against the citizenship law last year.
He retired as DGP on August 31 last year but was given a three-month extension. On Thursday, he emerged winner in the election for the president of the Axom Xahitya Xabha, Assam's highest literary organisation.
On his new role, Saikia says, "The more than a century old literary organisation Axom Xahitya Xabha needs to be more inclusive in creating a bridge between multitudes of ethnic groups through literature and culture in the state. Young generation writers should be the prime movers in the Xabha to allow creative exchange of ideas with those of other states."
He further says that maintaining peace without the participation of civil societies is an uphill task and authorities must proactively use social media to ensure that truth reaches the public."