Discover the life of Ananda Ram Dhekial Phookan, a pivotal figure in early colonial Assam and the first modern Assamese biographer. This compelling book, ‘Being Modern: A Biography of Ananda Ram Dhekial Phookan’, explores Phookan’s significant role in shaping modern Assamese identity. Learn how he championed Assamese as the official language, displacing Bengali, and his wide-ranging scholarship. Author Gunabhiram Barua masterfully blends Phookan’s biography with Assam’s transition to colonial modernity. Elegantly translated by Banani Chakravarty, this narrative offers a captivating glimpse into 19th-century Assam and the legacy of a remarkable individual. A must-read for history and biography enthusiasts at The Bookish Owl.