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Ex-Assam minister BK Phukan dead
Fifty-year-old Phukan, who died following multiple organ failure, is survived by his wife and a daughter.
Bhrigu Kumar Phukan, former Assam Home Minister and a leading figure of the students agitation in eighties in the state, died in New Delhi on Monday night.
Fifty-year-old Phukan, who died following multiple organ failure, is survived by his wife and a daughter.
Phukan, who was Assam's Home Minister in first Asom Gana Parishad government (1985-90), was brought to Delhi about three weeks back for treatment after his condition deteriorated after lung infections and liver ailments.
He was later admitted to the ICU of the AIIMS and was under life support system for last six days.
Born at Sibsagar in Upper Assam on April 25, 1956, Phukan led the six-year-old agitation (1979-85) against illegal migrants as general secretary of All Assam Students' Union along with former chief minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta.
Mahanta was the president of the influential student body.
Phukan was one of the signatories of historic Assam Accord between the AASU and the Union Government on April 15, 1985.
Former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was another signatory of the Accord.
After the Accord, the AASU leaders formed the AGP and subsequently formed the regional party government headed by Mahanta.
However, after differences with Mahanta, Phukan left the AGP along with former Union Minister late Dinesh Goswami and others and formed Natun Asom Gana Parishad in 1991.
He rejoined the parent party before 1996 Assembly elections.
He was elected to the state Assembly for three consecutive times from 1985 to 2001 from Jalukbari constitunecy in Guwahati. However, in 2001 he lost the elections.
His body will be flown to Guwahati for last rites on Tuesday.
