Tarun Gogoi (1 April 1936 – 23 November 2020) was an Indian politician and lawyer who served as the 13th Chief Minister of Assam from 2001 to 2016. He was the longest serving Chief Minister of Assam. He was a member of the Indian National Congress. During his tenure as the chief minister, he is credited with ending militant insurgency and mitigating violence in addition to improving the state's fiscal condition.
He was the member of the Assam Legislative Assembly from 2001 to until his death in 2020 from Titabar constituency and from Margherita constituency from 1996 to 1998. He was the member of Lok Sabha representing Kaliabor from 1991 to 1996 and again from 1998 to 2001 and Jorhat constituency from 1971 to 1984. He was also Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Food and Processing Industries in the P. V. Narasimha Rao ministry from 1993 to 1995. He was posthumously awarded the Padma Bhushan, India's third-highest civilian honour, in 2021.[3][4]
Early life
Tarun Gogoi was born on 1st of April 1936[2] into an ethnic Assamese Tai-Ahom family at Rangajan Tea Estate,[5][6] erstwhile Sibsagar District, now the Jorhat District of Assam.[7][8] His father, Kamaleshwar Gogoi[8] was a medical practitioner at Rangajan Tea Estate[8]
He is the elder brother and best friend of Assamese veteran film producer Paran Barbarooah. He is also the uncle of Assamese Film director Prerana Barbarooah.
Gogoi started his political career as a member of the municipal board at Jorhat in 1968 before being elected to the Fifth Lok Sabha in 1971 from Jorhat. He represented Jorhat in Lok Sabha through the next two terms until 1985.[13] He represented Kaliabor in the Tenth Lok Sabha between 1991 and 1996, and the Twelfth and Thirteenth Lok Sabha between 1998 and 2001. He quit the Thirteenth Lok Sabha, mid-term, to assume office as the Chief Minister of Assam in 2001, serving a total of six terms as a member of parliament.[13][12]
During his second term in the Lok Sabha, he was elected as the Joint Secretary of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) in 1976 under Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.[14] He later served as the General Secretary of the AICC, from 1985 to 1990, under Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.[14] He served in the Union Cabinet of India under Prime Minister P. V. Narasimha Rao as the Union Minister of State in the Ministry of Food Processing Industries between 1991 and 1996.[13] He was a member of the Committee on Government Assurances, Consultative Committee, Union Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, and Committee on External Affairs in the Tenth Lok Sabha.[12] In the Thirteenth Lok Sabha he was a member of the Committee on Railways.[15]
He served as the President of the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) between 1986 and 1990,[13] before being appointed as the President again in 1996.[12] Through has state legislative career he served four terms as a Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA). He first represented the Margherita constituency between 1996 and 1998, and the Titabar constituency since 2001.[15]
Gogoi lead the Indian National Congress in the 2001 Assam Legislative Assembly election,[15][12][16] with congress securing 70 seats in the Assembly. On 18 May 2001, Gogoi was unanimously elected leader of the Congress legislative party and was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Assam. He succeeded the Asom Gana Parishad government led by Prafulla Kumar Mahanta. Gogoi was faced with the onerous task of bringing the state out of the morass of militant violence and financial instability characterised by a huge debt burden with even government employees not receiving their salaries on time. During the ministry self employment schemes to counter terrorism, the Police Commission for smooth functioning of administration of State, the Chief Vigilance Commission to prevent corruption and the right to information bill were all established.[17]
On 6 August 2003, a motion of no-confidence was filed against the ministry of Gogoi jointly by AGP, BJP and ASDC.
Initiating the discussion, Brindaban Goswami said that the people of Assam had brought the Congress to power expecting a clean and transparent Government. But, the present Government had drowned into several corruption scandals. He also referred to the ethnic conflict between the Demasa-Hmar group and alleged that the law and order situation had worsened in the last two years. Consequently, innocent people had been killed. Opposition parties were not allowed to function freely and even the party office of BJP was ransacked by miscreants in broad daylight. He further alleged that the Government had not taken any steps for the detection and deportation of foreigners.
In his reply, Gogoi described all the allegations made against him and his Ministry as baseless. Gogoi said that the AGP had no right to criticise the present Government as they had ruined the socio-economic condition of State when it was in power. The present Government had tried to improve the conditions and had succeeded to some extent. The Central Government had sanctioned more funds to the State for rural development and the public distribution system. He gave a detailed description of the increase in the tax collection, revenue collection and per capita income and said the State was making progress on diverse fronts. The Government had been trying its best to prevent corruption. Regarding the law and order situation, he said the situation had returned to normal and an initiative had been taken for discussion with the Demasa-Hmar and other extremist groups.
The motion was debated on 8 August 2003 and was defeated by voice-vote.[17]
Gogoi again led Congress in the 2006 Assam Legislative Assembly Election and Congress received 53 seats, 9 less than the 64 needed for a majority, Gogoi's initiative in this direction paid dividends with the Congress returning to power for the second consecutive term, albeit with lesser seats, and formed the government in alliance with its coalition partner Bodoland People's Front (BPF). During the ministry the law-and-order situation abruptly improved and the financial condition of the state improved. Gogoi gave importance to implementation of the schemes of the Central Government by different departments of the state. He also gave importance for industrialization of the state. He also took initiative to solve the insurgency problems of Assam through negotiation.
In his career as the chief minister of Assam, Tarun Gogoi is credited with having brought the many militant outfits operating in the state including the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) to the negotiating table and mitigating militant insurgency within the state. It is noted that when he started his tenure, militant insurgency was at the peak in the State with multiple bomb blasts in Guwahati triggered by ULFA, riots and violent demands for accession in the Bodoland Territorial Region, and militant attacks on Hindi speakers.[20] By the time he ended his tenure as the chief minister, an improved law and order and a relatively violence-free tenure were considered his legacy.[18][21]
He is also credited with improving the state's fiscal position, getting the state out from close to bankruptcy, and engineering an economic turnaround in the implementation of various state government-led relief schemes, particularly for the rural areas.[18] His initiation of development projects in the state is credited with having stopped the flight of capital out of the state.[20]
He had had multiple heart surgeries during the latter part of his second term as the chief minister, including Bypass surgery, Aortic valve replacement, and a procedure to artificially enlarge the aorta, at Mumbai's Asian Heart Institute. He had an additional surgery just before the elections for his third term in 2011, to replace his Artificial cardiac pacemaker.[18] Gogoi had gone on to lead his party to a third term victory, recovering from these health issues.[18]
Death and funeral
Illness and death
Gogoi tested positive for COVID-19 on 25 August 2020. He was admitted to the Guwahati Medical College and Hospital on 26 August. On 31 August after a sudden fall in oxygen saturation level, he was given a blood plasma transplant and was later stable.[26] On 16 September, Gogoi tested negative for COVID.[27][28] On 24 September, he was later readmitted to the ICU following post-COVID-19 complications.[29][30][31] On 25 October, Gogoi was discharged from hospital, though Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma stated his further treatment would continue at his official residence.[32][33] Gogoi was hospitalised again on 2 November after he complained of breathing problems the previous night and was immediately shifted to the ICU to put him on NIV because of high ammonia levels, a week after he had been discharged.[34][35][36]
On 21 November, Gogoi suffered a multi-organ failure and was on dialysis with his blood pressure fluctuating, and was put on ventilator support.[37][38] His son Gaurav, along with Chief Secretary Jishnu Barua rushed to visit him.[39] Gogoi's daughter, Chandrima arrived from the US on 21 November in Guwahati and arrived at GMCH on 22 November to visit Gogoi.[40][41] On 23 November 2020, at 5:34 PM, Gogoi was pronounced dead at the Gauhati Medical College and Hospital due to COVID-19 induced complications and multiple organ failure, aged 84.[42][43][44] His wife, Dolly, his son Gaurav and daughter Chandrima, were all at his side among other relatives.[43] He was survived by his wife, son, son in law, daughter, daughter in law and grandchildren.[44]
"I am deeply saddened by the demise of former chief minister Tarun Gogoi. With his death, the state has lost an experienced, capable and efficient political leader. The people of Assam will always remember his committed service and contributions to the state. His sense of humour, amiable and outspoken nature attracted everyone. He set high ethical values in the field of politics with his simple life-style and contributed profusely in strengthening democratic values in the country"
— Sarbananda Sonowal, 23 November 2020
Funeral
Gogoi's body was kept at Srimanta Sankardeva Kalakshetra, a cultural institution in Guwahati, for people to pay their final tributes. On 23 November, Sarbananda Sonowal announced a three-day state mourning for Gogoi while visiting Gogoi's remains.[56] On 25 November, Congress Leader Rahul Gandhi visited Guwahati to pay tribute to Gogoi and he met with Gogoi's family.[57] The funeral procession with Gogoi's mortal remains began on 26 November from Sankardeb Kalakshetra, a cultural centre in Guwahati, where his body was kept for viewing since 24 November. The mortal remains were first taken to his official residence. Then his remains were taken to a church at Six Mile in Guwahati, then to one at Naamghar at Zoo Road after which he was taken to Burha Jame Masjid at Ambari and then to Ugratara temple near Latasil before his cremation. This was done as per Gogoi's wishes.[58] On 26 November, Gogoi's final rites were performed with full state honours at the Nabagraha Cremation ground in Guwahati. Gaurav Gogoi, lit the pyre after performing the rituals. Gogoi's wife Dolly, daughter Chandrima, daughter-in-law Elizabeth and other family members placed sandalwood on the pyre before it was lit by Gaurav.[59] Many politicians were present, including Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, state BJP President Ranjeet Kumar Dass and state congress president Ripun Bora were all present.[60] Many dignitaries offered floral tributes to Gogoi.[61]
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