OUR CORRESPONDENT
TEZPUR: Senior journalist and treasurer of the Sonitpur Journalists’ Union, Niranjan Agarwala, passed away at a private hospital in Tezpur on Sunday. He was 68 and had been suffering from kidney-related ailments. His death has left the journalist fraternity in Tezpur deeply saddened. He was unmarried.
Originally from Haryana, Agarwala came to Tezpur in the 1990s and eventually made the town his permanent home.
Agarwala began his journalistic career as the Tezpur correspondent of the Hindi Sentinel. From 2008, he served as the Tezpur correspondent of the Hindi daily Pratah Khabar. During his long association with journalism, he remained an active member of the Sonitpur Journalists’ Union and worked tirelessly for its growth and development. He later served as the union’s treasurer.
Besides journalism, Agarwala was closely associated with the Marwari community of Tezpur and several social and cultural organisations. His mortal remains were brought to the office of the Sonitpur Journalists’ Union on Sunday evening, where union president Sanjeeb Hazarika, general secretary Manoj Kumar Saikia and other members paid their last respects.
The body was later taken to his residence on NB Road, where representatives of various organisations of the Marwari community paid their final tributes. His last rites were subsequently performed at the Morabharali Public Cremation Ground.
Tezpur MLA Prithiraj Rava, former MLA Brindaban Goswami, senior journalist Nathmal Tibrewal, the Sonitpur Press Club, Tezpur, president Subhash Chandra Biswas, working president Pankaj Baruah, Sonitpur District Committee president of JAFA Prashanta Mahanta and secretary Hemanta Kumar Nath, Tezpur Xahitya Xabha president Dhrubajyoti Das and secretary Dr Pallab Bhattacharya, among others, expressed deep sorrow and conveyed their condolences to the bereaved family and associates.
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