The media fraternity of Assam and Northeast India suffered a profound and untimely loss on Monday, November 2, 2026, with the sudden passing of Dr. Rahul Chanda, Editor of GPlus (Guwahati Plus) and one of the founding pillars of the publication. He was 44.

There is a poignant cruelty in the timing of his departure. Earlier on the very day of his passing, GPlus marked its 13th anniversary with a milestone editorial penned by Dr. Chanda himself, titled “GPlus: Where Guwahati Turns for News They Can Trust.” In it, he reflected on the constant tension in modern journalism between the relentless pressure for digital speed and the sacred duty of verified, credible reporting. Those words, intended to celebrate over a decade of institutional resilience, now stand as his final testament to the craft he loved.

A Founding Pillar of Urban Journalism in Guwahati

Dr. Chanda’s professional journey was deeply interwoven with the evolution of contemporary journalism in the Northeast. Equipped with rich cross-media experience spanning both television and print journalism, he joined GPlus at its inception in 2013. Over the next thirteen years, he worked tirelessly behind the scenes and on the frontlines—serving with distinction as Senior Journalist and Bureau Chief before officially taking charge as Editor on June 2, 2026.

To build a hyper-local, independent media brand from the ground up and sustain its relevance across print and digital transitions requires more than newsroom management; it requires an unshakeable editorial compass. Dr. Chanda played a defining role in shaping the publication’s voice, transforming it into an indispensable chronicler of Guwahati’s civic, cultural, and policy landscape.

A Legacy of Rigor and Civic Responsibility

As an editor and reporter, Dr. Chanda never shied away from asking uncomfortable questions when public interest was at stake. His journalism was marked by thorough research, balance, and an insistence on accountability:

• Championing Public Safety and Policy Accountability: Just days before his demise, on October 31, 2026, he co-authored an incisive investigative report, “One Licensed Gun, Five Deaths: Questions Over Firearm Regulation in Assam,” examining systemic gaps in interstate weapon licensing and verification.
• Advocating for Equitable Development: In his widely read columns, whether critiquing urban civic sense or exposing how Guwahati’s rapid peripheral expansion outpaced basic telecom and civic infrastructure, he consistently looked beyond surface-level headlines to how policy—or its absence—affected ordinary citizens.
• Mentorship and Academic Engagement: Beyond the newsroom, Dr. Chanda bridged the gap between media practice and academia, contributing as an external expert on university boards and mentoring a generation of young reporters across the region.
  

A Void in the Fourth Estate

In an era when loud sensationalism often threatens to drown out reasoned discourse, Dr. Rahul Chanda represented the quiet strength of old-school journalistic integrity paired with modern adaptability. He believed that trust is earned story by story, verification by verification.

Dr. Chanda is survived by his wife and their four-year-old son. While the media fraternity mourns the loss of an exceptional editor, colleague, and chronicler of the Northeast, the grief borne by his young family is immeasurable.

At KRC Times, we join the GPlus family and journalists across the region in bowing our heads in tribute to a life dedicated to truth and public service. His byline may have appeared for the last time on November 2, but the standards he set for ethical, citizen-centric reporting will continue to guide newsrooms across the region.

Om Shanti.