ARTIST DONATES BODY

Even after his death, Moinul Haque Barbhuiya would touch the living soul after he magnanimously donated his body for medical research today.
This is the first time that an individual has donated his or her body for a scientific cause in Meghalaya’s history. However, one of the deceased’s relatives has claimed the body and is arguing that the body be buried according to religious rites against the deceased’s last wish.
Barbhuiya was a renowned artist and a faculty in Department of Creative Arts in the North Eastern Hill University (NEHU).
Barbhuiya before his death pledged that his body be donated to North East Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences (NEIGRIHMS) today.
The Nobel gesture has elated the artist community in Meghalaya. “This noble act would only help in developing the pursuit of science and art,” R Warjiri a local artist said.
Not just the artists, relatives of Barbhuiya are equally elated. “This would help the entire scientific community of Meghalaya,” a relative of Barbhuiya said who did not want to be named.
P Bhattacharyya dean of NEIGRIHMS said the body of Barbhuiya would be used to help in discovering new scientific knowledge.
“ Its rarely done that someone donates his or her body for a scientific cause and Barbhuiya body would be of immense help for the scientific community ,” Bhattacharyya said.
Bhattacharyya said Barbhuiya’s body would be a case study of muscles, bones, veins and human anatomy.
Barbhuiya was a Muslim by faith. He was a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Vishwa Bharati University, Shanti Niketan, West Bengal.
He was born in Lala, Assam in 1952 and joined NEHU in 1976 as an artist. In 1989, he joined the Centre for Culture and Creative Arts, NEHU.
Barbhuiya was the founder secretary of Meghalaya Artists’ Guild from 1983 to 1989. Barbhuiya leaves behind his wife and daughter a medical student.