Guwahati, March 22: Abhijit Sarmah, a tea planter and former Assam minister, considered by many in the tea industry as "pro-reforms and pro-worker", passed away at a hospital in New Delhi this morning. He was 58.

Sarmah is survived by his wife and two sons.

Family sources said Sarmah was airlifted to Delhi early this month after he hurt his spine at the Jorhat races. His mortal remains will be flown in tomorrow.

Sarmah's demise left not only his family and friends shocked but also politicians and those in the tea industry. The former Jorhat MLA was an AASU leader during Assam Agitation and a minister in the first AGP government in 1985. He contested elections only once.

Sarmah was also the president of Jorhat Gymkhana Club and former chairman of the Assam Tea Planters Association.

Born in a family of tea planters, Sarmah had inherited Madhupur garden but went on to acquire three more tea estates with his business acumen and hard work, becoming one of the most successful Assamese planters in the past three decades.

Rich tributes poured in from within and outside the industry.

"He was very amiable and had no airs despite being a successful planter. He not only turned around his family garden but also acquired new ones. He tried to engage people from his extended family or those who once owned gardens so that their expertise could be used. His tea has been among the top five at Guwahati Tea Auction Centre. His death is a huge loss to the state. He was both pro-reform and pro-worker," a cousin told The Telegraph.

Assam Tea Tribes Students' Association (ATTSA) assistant general secretary Dhiraj Gowala said: "He was a planter who backed the tea workers' demand for higher daily wages. Along with improving his business, he had the tea community's interest at heart, something which cannot be said of most others. He was an inspiration to us."

In a condolence message, chief minister Sonowal termed the death of Sarmah an irreparable loss. He said the contributions of Sarmah as a leader of AASU during the Assam Agitation will remain unparalleled.

Vice-chairman of Tea Board of India, Bidyanand Barkakoty, said Sarmah's death was a big loss for the Assam tea industry. "After he took over Madhupur tea estate, he turned it into one of the highest yielding tea estates and one of the top 10 gardens with regard to quality of tea. All his gardens produced quality teas and all of them are high-yielding," he said.

Raj Barooah of Aideobarie tea estate in Jorhat said Sarmah knew the tea business very well, which resulted in his properties making some fine brew.

Joydeep Phukan, secretary of Tea Research Association, said Sarmah always kept the flag of Assam tea flying high. "He was my cousin and successfully managed to carry forward the legacy of our great grandfather Someswar Sarma, a legendary tea planter," he said.