GUWAHATI, Dec 3 - The adya shraddha of former Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi was solemnised today. Thousands of people, including both political figures and commoners, visited the official residence of the departed leader at the Ministers� Colony at Dispur, where the adya shraddha was held, and paid tribute to Gogoi, who had passed away on November 23. Among those who attended the adya shraddha were Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Ripun Bora, Leader of the Opposition in the Assam Legislative Assembly Debabrata Saikia, AIUDF president Badruddin Ajmal and other senior leaders from Congress as well as other parties. Religious prayers and rituals were held.
�Today we organised naam and gayan bayan. We all prayed for eternal peace of the soul of the former Chief Minister,� said Tarun Gogoi�s son and Lok Sabha MP Gaurav Gogoi. He added, �He (Tarun Gogoi) always thought about the masses and their welfare. We also hold similar views. Many people have lost their families or near and dear ones this year on account of COVID-19. Many such people may not have been able to follow all the rituals that we observed here today, due to some reason or other. We organised naam and gayan bayan on the occasion of the adya shraddha of former Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi. I have only one request to Lord Ram and Lord Krishna � may they bless the families of all those people of Assam who left this world for their heavenly abodes this year and look after the welfare and well-being of those families.�
Ajmal said Assam is unlikely to see another leader of Tarun Gogoi�s stature for at least �a thousand years�. �I never imagined we would have to see this day. We had hoped that he (Gogoi) would continue to serve Assam for at least another 15-20 years, and that we would continue to learn from his experiences... He was an exceptional personality,� he said.
A book, Mahiruh Tarun Gogoi, written by Imdadur Rahman and Iftikar Hussain, based on the interviews given by the former Chief Minister to the duo during his lifetime, was also released on the occasion.
