Padma Shri awardee and anti-witch hunting crusader, Birubala Rabha passes away at 70

Besides the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award of India, Rabha was nominated for Nobel Peace Prize in 2005. She was conferred an honorary Doctorate by the Gauhati University

Padma Shri awardee, human rights activist and crusader against witch hunting, Birubala Rabha of Assam died in Guwahati this morning. She was 70.

Rabha was battling cancer. She was undergoing treatment at the State Cancer Institute in Guwahati since April 22 this year.

On Saturday, Assam Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary had visited the veteran activist in the hospital and announced the Assam Government’s decision to bear all expenses for her treatment.

Taking to ‘X’, Patowary wrote, “On the direction of Hon’ble CM Dr. @himantabiswa, today visited the State Cancer Institute, Guwahati, and took stock of the health of renowned social worker Smt Birubala Rabha who is undergoing treatment there and interacted with the doctors regarding her treatment. As per Hon’ble CM’s direction, the State Government will bear the expenses of their medical treatment.”

Born in 1954 in the village of Thakurvila, near the Meghalaya border in Assam’s Goalpara district, Birubala was instrumental in the framing of the Prevention of and Protection from Witch Hunting Act, 2015 passed by the Assam Government.

Besides the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award of India, Rabha was nominated for Nobel Peace Prize in 2005. She was conferred an honorary Doctorate by the Gauhati University in 2015.

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