JORHAT, March 22 - Abhijit Sarma, former Health Minister of the State and MLA of Jorhat, revered social organiser and a successful philanthropic tea-planter, breathed his last at the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital in New Delhi this morning at the age of 58, following severe infection in lungs and kidneys.
Sarma was admitted to the hospital in February this year after doctors of a private nursing home here detected severe injuries in his spinal-cord and infection in his respiratory system.
The mortal remains of Sarma will be flown to Jorhat tomorrow afternoon from Delhi and the cremation will be done at the Tarajan Crematorium possibly around 5pm after his relatives, friends, admirers and organisations pay tribute to the departed soul at his home, which is located at DCB Road here.
Born and brought up in Jorhat, Sarma was associated with social organisations since his school-days. He was general secretary of the JB College students� union during the 1977-78 period and later became a secretary of the district unit of the AASU of the then undivided �Sibsagar� district during the Assam Agitation. Sarma was jailed during the Assam Agitation as he rallied thousands of people behind him to raise their voice against the then government. He became the Health Minister of the State in the first Cabinet of the AGP government in 1985 after winning the popular mandate as MLA of Jorhat Assembly Constituency. He, however, did not participate in any poll after completion of his only term, although his love and devotion to the regional political party remained till his death.
�The loss is irreparable to the entire State,� said AGP�s central executive member Niren Sarma of Jorhat who was very closely associated with him since the Assam Agitation.
Expressing sorrow in his death, Vice Chancellor of Jorhat-based Assam Agricultural University Dr Kamal Malla Bujarbaruah said that the university, as well as the State, lost a pragmatic figure in the death of Sarma who was a former member of the university�s board of management. Dr Bujabaruah said that it was rare to find a personality like Abhijit Sarma, who always extended �unbiased suggestions� for constructive works.
Along with several social, student and academic organisations, the Assam Tea Planters� Association (ATPA), many political personalities and senior citizens of Jorhat mourned the demise of Sarma.