Veteran trade union leader Niren Baruah passes away at a private hospital in Guwahati

A Correspondent

DOOMDOOMA: Veteran trade unionist and leading social worker Niren Baruah (85), a resident of Bezbaruah Sarani, passed away at a private hospital in Guwahati on Sunday due to old-age ailment. He is survived by his wife, a son and two daughters.

Born in 1934 at Kamarkuchi village in undivided Kamrup district, he had his early education at Doomdooma and appeared in the matriculation examination as one of the first batch candidates of Doomdooma Hoonlal High (now HS) School. Although his father was frontrunner in opening a bakery shop at Doomdooma, he chose to join as an employee in Asam Chah Mazdoor Sangha (ACMS), Doomdooma Branch founded by Jogendra Nath Rajmedhi, and rose to the post of its secretary in due course of time to serve in that capacity for 40 long years till 2005. He served under former MLA Malia Tanti and former MLA and Labour Minister Dileswar Tanti as president of ACMS, Doomdooma Branch, which had around 40 tea gardens under it.

Niren Baruah played a dynamic role in labour welfare and was a household name in tea circles all over Assam. He was closely associated with Doomdooma Sakha Sahitya Sabha, Doomdooma Asamiya Puja Aru Natya Mandir Samity, Doomdooma Namghar Samity, Doomdooma Shiva Mandir and served in various capacities to lend his valuable service. He was also a member of the Zonal Railway Users Consultative Committee (ZRUCC) of NF Railway and was also well connected with the adult literacy programme of undivided Dibrugarh district. He had a close relationship with Sudhakantha Dr Bhupen Hazarika through his school friend litterateur Nirod Chaudhury and was instrumental in introducing Rajasthani artist Gajanan Verma to him, which resulted in the strange coincidence of inclusion of a Rajasthani folk dance in the Dr Hazarika’s satirical film Lotighati which being made at that time.

His death has cast a pall of gloom in greater Doomdooma area and has been widely mourned by a number of organizations and individuals like former Central Minister Paban Singh Ghatowar, MLA Durga Bhumij and former Labour Minister and secretary, ACMS Central Committee, Dileswar Tanti. His last rites will be performed on Monday at Doomdooma.

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