Bishnu Ram Medhi was born on 24th April 1888 in a humble peasant family at Hajo, a place of historic and religious importance. His father was Sonaram and his mother Alehi.
Medhi showed academic excellence from his childhood. He passed the entrance examination from the Cotton Collegiate High School, Guwahati in1905 and in 1909 graduated from the Presidency College, Calcutta in the Science stream. He obtained a degree of M.Sc. from Dacca University in Organic Chemistry in 1911 and carried out research in that University for one year. He then passed the B.L. examination in 1914 and joined the Bar at Guwahati the same year.
He joined the non-co-operation movement in 1921. In 1930 he became the President of the Congress in Assam and continued in office till 1938. He was the Joint Secretary of the Reception Committee Session at Pandu in Assam in 1926. He was the Chairman of the first congress of the Guwahati Local Board in 1938. In 1946, he became a Minister in the Gopinath Bordoloi Cabinet in Assam and held the Finance and Revenue portfolios. In 1950, he becamethe Chief Minister of Assam and continued till 1958. He was appointed Governor of Madras from 1958 to 1964. In 1964, he came back to Assam and was returned to the State Assembly unopposed from 1967 to 1972. After a protracted illness, he passed away on 21st January 1981. He died issueless and donated all he possessed for public purposes.
Source: Information Brochure of Commemorative Postage Stamp issued by Department of Posts.