Sivasagar, June 17: Assam PCC president Anjan Dutta was cremated with full state honours this evening on the premises of Gaurisagar block Congress office in Sivasagar district. Thousands turned up to pay their last respects to Dutta, 64, who passed away in New Delhi yesterday.
The Congress leader breathed his last at 7.11am yesterday at AIIMS, New Delhi, where he was being treated for lung infection for over a month. He is survived by his wife and three daughters.
The funeral pyre was lit jointly by Dutta's three daughters, Angkita, Amrita and Arpita, at 5.15pm. The three were inconsolable before and after lighting the pyre, seeking his forgiveness for any mistake they might have committed and breaking into a song they used to hum in admiration of their father. They, however, could not go beyond a few lines.
His last rites were attended by senior Congress leader C.P. Joshi, former chief minister Tarun Gogoi, leader of Opposition Debabrata Saikia and state cabinet minister Pramila Rani Brahma, among others.
Brahma was asked by chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal to attend the cremation. Sonowal had also asked chief secretary V.K. Pipersenia this morning to ensure Dutta was cremated with full state honours.
All shops and business establishments downed their shutters in Sivasagar as a token of love and respect for Dutta. A host of individuals and organisations offered floral tributes to the leader.
Dutta's body was brought to Jorhat airport by a special flight this morning and not by road as announced in Rajiv Bhawan last night. His body was kept for sometime at the Jorhat district Congress office and then taken to Amguri by road, before being brought to Sivasagar. Along the way, the vehicle carrying his body was halted at several places to enable people to pay their last respects.
Saikia and Mariani Congress legislator Rupjyoti Kurmi were among those who accompanied Dutta's cortege.
In Sivasagar, 30km from Amguri, which is another 35km from Jorhat, thousands made a beeline for the district Congress office, Boarding Field, Sivasagar Yuva Dal auditorium and the residence of the departed leader - places where the body was taken - to pay their last respects.
After the religious rituals at Dutta's house, his body was carried in an open vehicle to Gaurisagar. People stood all along the 12km stretch from Sivasagar to Gaurisagar for a last glimpse of Dutta.
The funeral site was chosen because of Dutta's deep attachment with the party office. "The Gaurisagar Congress office operates from the building and plot owned by Dutta. He also has a small house adjoining the office. Besides, the cremation site is situated in Amguri constituency. Performing the last rites at Gaurisagar is a tribute to the people of the constituency, who elected him thrice to the state Assembly," a close aide said.
Besides political leaders and close friends, associates and persons from different walks of life who knew Dutta also went to Sivasagar this morning to attend the funeral.
Last night, Dutta's body was kept at his Rukminigaon residence in Guwahati. At 7 this morning, his mortal remains were taken to Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport at Borjhar for his final journey to his hometown.
Assam cabinet minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, a former party colleague, went to the airport this morning to pay homage.
Dutta, the man his party turned to in times of crisis, held several important positions during his more than three decades-long political career. He was a member of the Legislative Assembly for three terms. He was the minister of state (independent charge) of town and country planning, public enterprises, irrigation and hydro-carbon development in the Hiteswar Saikia-led government (1991-96). He held the transport, industry and commerce portfolios in the Tarun Gogoi cabinet (2001 -2006). Dutta has been credited with reviving the sick Assam State Transport Corporation when he was the transport minister. As the industry minister, he brought life and vigour to the Assam Tea Corporation.
Condolences continued to pour in from various quarters for the second day today for Dutta's untimely demise. ASTC employees also paid their tributes to Dutta and recalled his contributions to revive the corporation.
