Tezpur, May 2: Former Assam industries minister and veteran politician of Tezpur in central Assam's Sonitpur district, Bijit Saikia, passed away today following a prolonged illness. He was 75.

Saikia slipped and fell at his home over a month ago. He was admitted to Narayana Superspeciality Hospital in Guwahati on March 22 and then shifted to Down Town Hospital where he was undergoing treatment. His condition, however, started deteriorating and he breathed his last around 2.37 this afternoon. He leaves behind his wife and two sons.

Saikia, who studied in Darrang College here in the sixties and became its sports secretary, later became the general secretary of the students' union of the college to start his political career as a dedicated student leader.

While he was studying at Darrang College, he performed in a play, Angoni Pan, during Varsity Week at Gauhati University. Later in life, after his stint as a minister, he acted in Assamese TV serial Dalangar Situ Par Nai and in Assamese film Goon Goon Ganey Ganey.

A man with a different personality, Saikia was a courageous individual who represented Tezpur during the Language Movement. He also represented many movements during the 1960s, including that for establishment of an oil refinery and rallying youths of Tezpur town against the Chinese aggression of 1962.

A dedicated social worker, Saikia later joined the Congress and was elected to the Assembly from Tezpur in 1990. He was the minister for industries during the Hiteswar Saikia regime from 1991 to 1996. During this period, the Ghoramari Industrial Development Growth Centre came into being.

Saikia had led the Youth Emergency Organisation during the Chinese aggression in association with Biswadev Sharma, a fellow student in Darrang College, the then Tezpur MP Purna Narayan Sinha and Communist leaders Ramesh Sharma and Jiban Kalita, among others. Together they had brought the youths of the region under one umbrella against the Chinese aggression.

Saikia's death was condoled by individuals and organisations, including Tezpur MLA Brindaban Goswami, former Tezpur MLA Rajen Borthakur, Assam State Youth Congress president Hiranya Bhuyan, Sonitpur District Congress president Bhimananda Tanti, Amtron vice-chairman Ritubaran Sharma, the Tezpur Sahitya Sabha, Sonitpur Press Club, Sonitpur Journalists' Union, Asomiya Bhasa Unnati Sadhini Sabha and Ban Theatre.