With a profound sense of sorrow, we would like to communicate the passing away of Murari Mohan Goswami on 17th December 2025, Wednesday evening.

Murari was suffering from a severe case of jaundice, which affected his kidneys and eventually the lungs. He was initially undergoing treatment at Jaipur, but was later shifted to ILBS Delhi, where he breathed his last. He was with his family around him.

 

Born in Silchar, Assam, in a Bengali family, Murari grew up in a home shaped by strong ethical commitments. His father was deeply influenced by Gandhian thought and practice, which influenced and quietly shaped Murari’s own values and life choices.   

 

Curious and adventurous explorer from his early age, he went on to pursue a Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) at Assam Central University, followed by a Post Graduate Diploma in Management of NGOs (PGDMN) from Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India (EDII) at Ahmedabad, Gujarat where he was a recipient of Rastriya Gram Vikas Nidhi RGVN fellowship. He later completed a Post Graduate Diploma in Development Leadership (PGDDL) at the Azim Premji University, Bengaluru, Karnataka.

Over a professional journey spanning more than two decades, Murari worked with commitment and excellence across a range of institutions Some of the organizations he was part of are Rajiv Gandhi Open University (Assam), Bharat Gyan Vigyan Samiti (Rajasthan), The Livelihood School (a BASIX initiative), ARAVALI (Rajasthan), Jawaharlal Nehru Leadership Institute JNRI (New Delhi), and World Learning / School for International Training.

During different phases of his career, Murari also worked as a freelance consultant with several civil society organisations. His consulting engagements included Gram Gaurav Sansthan, Vaagdhara, the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Contemporary Studies (RGICS), Rajmeru, and Quest Alliance. Through his work, he supported field research, training, and capacity building initiatives, as well as program design and organisational strengthening across diverse contexts. Most recently, he was a part of the founding team of Work for Development Foundation (www.wfdindia.org), as a Section 8 company based in Jaipur.

Murari devoted his life to working with and for some of the most marginalised communities in India, particularly across Assam, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and other regions. His work focused on SC, ST, and particularly marginalised tribal communities.

 

Beyond direct field engagements, he played a formative role in mentoring grassroots leaders and strengthening civil society organisations, drawing on a rare combination of field experience and functional expertise. An exceptional human being, known for his integrity, humility, and quiet determination, Murari approached his work with deep empathy and purpose. He believed in long-term change rooted in trust, dignity, collective effort, and institution building.  

Murari has been survived by his partner, Meghadeepa Chakraborty, and 10-year-old son, Vedansh.

He is gone too soon, and the world will miss many good things he would have done, many lives he would have touched. In a relatively short life, he leaves a legacy and a body of work, which we are sure will inspire many more in the coming years and decades.

We will sorely miss Murari. He will live in our hearts.