Book review
Writer: Dr Hema Kanta Barua
Review by Paramesh Dutta
Let me begin with my two-year association with Dr Barua. We are both engineers who graduated from different engineering colleges in Assam. Dr Barua earned his Bachelor of Engineering degree in Civil Engineering in 1965. After a brief stint in the Public Works Department (PWD), Assam, he began his teaching career as a lecturer at Assam Engineering College and later joined Jorhat Engineering College. I joined Assam Engineering College as a lecturer a year later. Dr Barua went on to study at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kharagpur, one of the country’s most prestigious technical institutions. I had the privilege of following him there, and we both lived at Gokhale Hall. During those two years, I had the opportunity to know him closely and gain a clear understanding of his likes and dislikes. In summary, Dr Hema Kanta Barua embodies unwavering honesty, integrity, and truthfulness.
Dealing with Professional Challenges as an Engineer recounts the difficult situations Dr Barua encountered during his professional career. Many people face comparable challenges, often arising from conflicts of interest, self-interest and undue interference, particularly by those in senior positions. Such interference is common in our country. In many instances, individuals overlook these issues, yield to pressure, or make compromises to ensure their safety. Dr Barua, however, was not inclined to calculate when or how far he should bend to navigate such situations. His steadfast faith in honesty, integrity and truthfulness made these circumstances especially difficult. Throughout his career, he stood by the values shaped by his education.
Dr Barua’s teaching career was comparatively less challenging than the work encountered in field-level technical services. As a committed engineer, he therefore faced many difficult professional situations. The subtitle, “As an Engineer”, reflects this experience. He successfully met several demanding challenges during his career and did so with distinction.
Dr Hema Kanta Barua also contributed to the promotion of construction technology through print media. He edited The Construction Tribune, whose first issue appeared in 1982. He describes the challenges of developing a readership for technical writing and sustaining the publication. Many people in society are willing to support a worthy cause, and his experience and determination in keeping the publication going are valuable lessons for readers.
Dr Barua served for more than 32 years in diverse roles in the construction industry. His career brought him considerable satisfaction but also setbacks, often because his work did not receive adequate recognition. His professional life moved, as it were, between satisfaction and disappointment—a course familiar to many dedicated professionals. Despite the undue pressures that are common in professional life, he remained focused on his work.
Dr Hema Kanta Barua is among the rare professionals who have remained steadfast in the face of adversity. I believe that, had he been given greater scope and freedom, he could have contributed even more to society and to the construction sector in particular.
Dealing with Professional Challenges as an Engineer is Dr Barua’s third book published in the past two years. He has also published numerous technical papers in respected national and international forums. I hope that more such thoughtful and useful books will come from his pen in the years to come.
The book is published by Saumar Publications, Rukmini Nagar East, Guwahati, which has already made its presence felt, although a new entrant in the world of publishing, Anup Kumar Baruah, Proprietor, Saumar Publications, also deserves appreciation for bringing this valuable book to the readers.