Former Assam CM Tarun Gogoi to be cremated on November 26 in Guwahati

The mortal remains of former Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi, who passed away on Monday at the age of 84, will be cremated in Guwahati on Thursday, state Congress chief Ripun Bora said during a press briefing.

Bora further said that Gogoi’s body will be taken to his official resident at Dispur on Tuesday morning from the Gauhati Medical College and Hospital, where the veteran Congress leader breathed his last.

“The doctors will complete necessary medical formalities in the night to prepare the body for keeping it safe for three days,” PTI quoted Bora as saying. Gogoi’s body will be then taken to state secretariat Janata Bhawan where he sat for 15 years as the chief minister of Assam. At around 3.30 pm, he will be taken to state Congress headquarters Rajiv Bhawan.

Gogoi, a three-time chief minister of Assam, was undergoing medical treatment at the Gauhati Medical College and Hospital for post-Covid-19 complications when he breathed his last on Monday evening. He had tested positive for coronavirus in August. Gogoi’s family has requested Assam chief minister to let people pay their last respect to the leader.

“Gogoi’s wife Dolly and son Gaurav requested Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal to keep his body for one day for the public. As per the family’s wish, the government will take the body to the Srimanta Sankardeva Kalakshetra complex in Guwahati on Tuesday evening and it will be there for the whole day on November 25,” Bora added.

Gogoi’s last journey on November 26 will start from Kalakshetra and his cremation ceremony will be held in Guwahati, Bora stated. “As per Gogoi’s last wish, the body will be taken to a temple, mosque and church before the last rites,” he said.

Bora also informed that many political leaders from Congress such as Rahul Gandhi are expected to visit Assam over the next few days to pay their last respect to the late veteran leader.

(with agency inputs)