As the sun dipped into the horizon on Wednesday, the pot containing the ashes of former three-time Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi was immersed into the mighty Brahmaputra at Jorhat by his son, Gaurav Gogoi.
Gaurav Gogoi, who is the Kaliabar Lok Sabha MP, was accompanied by family members and a galaxy of Congress party leaders on the ferry which took them from Nimatighat to a distance into the river.
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A Gayan Bayan troupe chanting religious hymns and a retinue of Congresscworkers and supporters raised their voices shouting “Tarun Gogoi amar houk”.
Also read: Former Assam CM Tarun Gogoi’s ashes to be immersed in Brahmaputra at Nimatighat on Wednesday
Tarun Gogoi’s wife, Dolly Gogoi, younger brother Dip Gogoi, a former Kaliabor MP and present Jorhat district Congress president, AICC secretary Rana Goswami, Leader of the Opposition in State Assembly Debabrata Saikia, Mariani MLA Rupjyoti Kurmi were among the galaxy of leaders present during the immersion ceremony.
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The pot containing the ashes was taken in an open truck decked up with flowers and banana trees with large portraits of Tarun Gogoi placed in the front and other sides of the vehicle.
Also read: Chair on which Ex-Assam CM Tarun Gogoi sat at Jorhat Press Club to be preserved
The truck, which Gaurav Gogoi boarded with a few other party leaders, was accompanied by a large convoy of vehicles carrying other party leaders, members and supporters from the Jorhat Court Field where a public shradahanjali (homage) function for Gogoi was organized earlier in the day.
As the truck, carrying the pot of ashes solemnly moved towards Nimatighat as part of a large convoy of vehicles, people lined the route and many offered flowers to Gaurav Gogoi to be put on the pot.
Earlier at the Court Field here, Gaurav Gogoi handed over pots containing ashes of his father to party leaders of six districts of Upper Assam to be taken to their respective districts where tributes would be paid to the veteran leader and ashes get immersed in different rivers.
Offering of prayers by religious persons of different faiths was held at the tribute function.
Packets of books on the life history of Tarun Gogoi were presented to representatives of three colleges here namely JB College, Cinnamara College and Kendriya Mahavidyalay.
Another programme was held to felicitate the former colleagues of late Gogoi, who had joined Youth Congress along with him.
Gaurav Gogoi while speaking to newspersons at the Court Field said his father had a last wish to visit Jorhat and Titabar, and “today his soul wherever it might be, will be at peace as the ashes have been brought here.
A large number of people and representatives of various organizations including political parties and students’ bodies attended the homage function.
Former Union minister and Assam in-charge of Congress, Jitendra Singh, Nagaon MP Pradyut Bordoloi, Chaygaon MLA Rekibuddin Ahmed, former minister and deputy leader in State Assembly Rakibul Hussain and APCC state president Ripun Bora were also present at the shradahanjali ceremony.
On Tuesday, the pots having the ashes of late Gogoi were brought from Guwahati by Gaurav Gogoi and his family members, accompanied by party leaders, to Jorhat making a few stopovers in the journey to let people pay tribute to the departed soul.
My father’s last words were about his home “Jorhat”, his constituency “Titabar” and his last desire “I must travel across the state”. Fulfilling that wish I have embarked upon a #ShantiSadbhavanayatra to immerse his ashes across Assam in the river Brahmaputra. Today in Jorhat. pic.twitter.com/TltLLB27PH
— Gaurav Gogoi (@GauravGogoiAsm) December 9, 2020