Last rites of former Assam CM Tarun Gogoi conducted in Guwahati with state honours

The 84-year-old passed away on Monday at Guwahati Medical College Hospital (GMCH) after battling Covid-19 and complications related to the disease for nearly three months

Updated on: Nov 26, 2020, 16:18:39 IST

Hindustan Times, Guwahati | By Utpal Parashar

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The last rites of veteran Congress leader and former Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi were conducted with full state honours on Thursday in Guwahati, three days after he passed away due to post-Covid-19 complications.

Tarun Gogoi was cremated at the Nabagraha crematorium in the presence of thousands of the late leader’s supporters, dignitaries and party workers with a 21 gun-salute. (Sourced: Ripun Bora, president, Assam Congress)

Gogoi’s son, Gaurav Gogoi, a Congress MP from Assam, lit the funeral pyre at the Nabagraha crematorium in the presence of thousands of the late leader’s supporters, dignitaries and party workers with a 21 gun-salute.

Gogoi’s wife Dolly Gogoi, chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal, several senior ministers, senior bureaucrats, police officers and Congress in-charge for Assam Jitendra Singh were present on the occasion.

The 84-year-old passed away on Monday at Guwahati Medical College Hospital (GMCH) after battling Covid-19 and complications related to the disease for nearly three months.

Also Read: Tarun Gogoi: The man who brought peace and growth to Assam

On Thursday morning, Gogoi’s body was taken from Srimanta Sankardeva Kalakshetra, where it was kept for the public to pay their respects, to his official residence for rituals associated with the last rites.

From there it was taken in a procession to a church, a ‘naam-ghar’ (prayer house), a mosque and two temples before the cortege proceeded to the Nabagraha crematorium for the last rites.

Gogoi’s mortal remains were placed in a flower-decked vehicle where his son, a few family members and senior leaders of Congress, including state unit president Ripun Bora, were present.

Hundreds of people lined the streets along which the procession passed to bid a final adieu to Gogoi, an unprecedented sight in Guwahati.

The Assam government had declared a half-day state holiday on Thursday as a mark of respect for Gogoi. A three-day state mourning had been declared on the day of his demise.

Gogoi, who served as chief minister for three terms from 2001 to 2016 (Assam’s longest serving chief minister), is credited with ushering peace and stability to the state after two decades of insurgency.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Utpal Parashar
A seasoned senior journalist, I have nearly three decades of experience across print, digital, and online platforms, covering political transitions, insurgencies, environmental issues, and development stories in India and Nepal. I am skilled in breaking news, leading editorial teams and launch of newspaper editions. I am adept at leveraging digital trends and social media to expand global reach, with a strong ethical foundation and a reputation for impactful journalism. An alumnus of Asian College of Journalism, I joined Hindustan Times in New Delhi as a trainee reporter in May 1997. Over the years, I have been posted in Dehradun, Kathmandu (Nepal) and Guwahati. Currently, as Senior Assistant Editor at Hindustan Times, I lead a team reporting on India’s northeastern states. My work involves in-depth analysis, and engaging multimedia storytelling across formats, including text, photo, video, and interactive content. I am skilled in producing timely, shareable content, leveraging digital platforms and social media to engage global audiences. Throughout my career with the Hindustan Times, I have led diverse editorial teams, designed capacity-building activities, and supported reporters in developing strong story ideas, ethical reporting practices, digital skills, and fact-checking techniques. As Senior Assistant Editor for Northeast India, I have been responsible for guiding correspondents through complex political, humanitarian, and community-level stories using multimedia formats. Earlier, as Foreign Correspondent in Nepal, I produced extensive reporting during Nepal’s democratic transition and the 2015 earthquake and its aftermath.Read More

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