Centenarian Bholaram Das during his birthday celebrations on the weekend said he had enrolled for the doctoral programme as "there is no age limit for acquiring knowledge.
Age is no bar for 100-year-old freedom fighter Bholaram Das of Assam who on 100th birthday announced his enrolment for PhD programme at Gauhati University.
The oldest university student in the state and perhaps the country, centenarian Das during his birthday celebrations on the weekend said he had enrolled for the doctoral programme as "there is no age limit for acquiring knowledge. I thought I must work towards a PhD that could satisfy my hunger for learning".
An inspiration for both young and old scholars, Das intended to conduct his research on how his native village Bohori in lower Assam contributed towards the spread of the egalitarian stream of Hinduism -- neo-Vaishnavite movement propagated by 16th century social and religious reformer Sri Sri Sankardeb -- across the state.
"In my 100 years, I have done many things in the fields of politics, governance, religion and society. So now I am planning to study the subject close to my heart -- neo-Vaishnavism's philosophies of one god and humanism," Das said.
The university's vice-chancellor, Dr OK Medhi said, "He was thrilled because Das can be an inspiration for the youth with his formidable spirit and dedication to public service.
"It is indeed rare to find a student who is 100 years old", he said.
The university chancellor governor JB Patnaik said Das would stand out as a role model for the next generation. One of his grand-daughters, a professor in the university, will be his guide for his doctoral thesis, the family sources said.
His grandson Abhinab Das, an engineer, is amazed at his grandfather's alert mental faculties and his eagerness to learn new things even after 40 years of retirement from service. "This is indeed inspiring for all of us in the family," he said.
The still agile centenarian is an avid reader owning an enviable library of books and loves to watch cricket matches on the television.
Jailed at the age of 19 for participating in the Independence Movement in 1930, Das had spent two months doing hard labour in the jail.
He joined Congress in 1945 and went on to pursue his studies in commerce and law before taking up an array of jobs as a teacher, lawyer, magistrate and finally retiring as a district court judge in 1971.
Das' wife Mandakini passed away in 1988 and he has a daughter and five sons, one of them being Numaligarh Refinery Ltd (NRL) managing director Dr Bhuapti Das, besides 10 grandchildren and a great-grandchild.
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