JORHAT, Dec 9 - The pot containing the ashes of former Chief Minister and also former Union Minister Tarun Gogoi was immersed in the mighty Brahmaputra, off Nimatighat here, on Wednesday in the presence of family members and top Congress party leaders.
The ashes were immersed in the river by Gogoi�s son Gaurav Gogoi, the sitting Lok Sabha Kaliabor MP, from a boat during sunset (at around 4.45 pm) amidst chanting of religion hymns by a Gayan Bayan troupe and shouting of slogan Tarun Gogoi amar hauk by party members.
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 Debrabrata Saikia, Mariani MLA Rupjyoti Kurmi were among the galaxy of leaders present during the immersion ceremony.
The pot containing the ashes were carried in an open truck solemnly decked up with flowers and banana trees with large portraits of Tarun Gogoi put up on the front and other sides of the vehicle.
The truck having Gaurav and several Congress leaders on board was accompanied by a large convoy of vehicles carrying party leaders, members and supporters from the Jorhat Court Field where a public shradahanjali function for Tarun Gogoi was organized earlier in the day.
As the truck carrying the pot of ashes moved towards Nimatighat as part of a large convoy of vehicles, people across the route were seen waiting beside the road and offering flowers to Gaurav to be put on the pot.
Earlier at the Court Field here, Gaurav 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 will be paid to the veteran leader and ashes immersed in different rivers.
Offering of prayers by religious persons of different faiths were held at the tribute function. Packets of books on the life history of Tarun Gogoi were presented to representatives of three colleges of Jorhat (JB College, Cinnamara College and Kendriya Mahavidyalaya) and also former colleagues of late Gogoi who had joined Youth Congress along with him were felicitated in the same function.
Gaurav while speaking to newspersons at the Court Field, said that his father had a last wish to visit Jorhat and Titabar, and �today his soul wherever it might be, it 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 student bodies attended the homage function.
Former Union Minister and Assam In-Charge of Congress party Jitendra Singh, APCC president Ripun Bora, Nagaon MP Pradyut Bordoloi, Chaygaon MLA Rekibuddin Ahmed, former Minister and Deputy leader of the Congress party in State Assembly Rakibul Hussain were also present at the shradahanjali ceremony.
On Tuesday the pots having the ashes of late Gogoi were brought from Guwahati by Gaurav and his family members, accompanied by party leaders to Jorhat making a few stop over in the journey to let people pay tribute to the departed soul.
