Lokanayak Omeo Kumar Das,one of the great patriots of Assam was born in Tezpur on May 21, 1895. During his school and college days he was attracted towards the ideals of servants of India society and very much influenced by the writings of Gopal Krishna Gokhale, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Surendra Nath Banerjee and other national leaders. He was very active right from his school days when as a student leader he decided to devote himself to the cause of country's freedom and to the service of the masses.

He actively  participated  in the freedom struggle, and became one of the torchbearers of the National movement in Assam. In 1930, when Gandhiji launched the Civil Disobedience Movement, Omeo Kumar Das responded to Gandhiji's call by organising the youth. He was, for his activities, imprisoned several times, by the British government

Later in 1937, he  was first elected to Assam Legislative Assembly and then in 1945, to the Constituent Assembly. After the country achieved independence, he served his state as a Minister holding important portfolios like Education, Food & Civil Supplies and Labour. As the Labour Minister, he was instrumental in setting up the tea Plantation Worker's Provident Fund for the benefit of the large number of the tea plantation workers of Assam. This effort is a unique landmark in the history of the labour welfare measures, not only in India, but in entire Asia. As the Education Minister he brought about a number of reforms in the education system and popularised the concept of Basic Education, which was so dear to Mahatma Gandhi.

Lokanayak Omeo Kumar Das was an intellectual of very high order. His activities were not confined to political sphere alone. He was a social thinker, a reformer, a journalist and a popular writer. Besides writing a large number of books, he translated Gandhiji's Autobiography "My Experiment with Truth" into the Assamese language. From his younger days he was in the forefront of prohibition campaign against opium, liquor and hemp. He was very actively connected with the establishment of several Ashramas based on the ideals of Gandhiji and several socio-economic centres, tuberculosis centres and leprosy treatment homes and organisations for relief and rehabilitation of distressed people. He was also associated with Harijan Sevak Sangha, Bharatiya Adim Jati Sevak Sangha, Bharat Sevak Samaj, Gandhi Smarak Nidhi, Kasturba Nidhi and Assam Seva Samiti.

He died at Guwahati on 23rd January 1975 at the age of 81.

The Department of Posts is happy to issue a special commemorative stamp in memory of late Lokanayak Omeo Kumar Das.

Source : Information Folder issued by Indian Posts & Telegraph Department, Government of India