Centenarian freedom fighter Satyalata Gogoi passes away in Tinsukia district

A CORRESPONDENT

DOOMDOOMA: The lone centenarian freedom fighter of Tinsukia district Satyalata Gogoi (104 years), who fought relentlessly for freedom movement, passed away at her residence at Gauripur village, Phillobari on Saturday morning. She is survived by four daughters. Her husband, two sons and one daughter predeceased her.

Born to Cheniram Chetia and Chenimola Chetia of Betbari Da village in Sivasagar district on May 28, 1921, she left her school at an early stage to participate in 1942’s Quit India movement launched by Gandhiji and actively took part in abandonment of foreign clothes movement and followed religiously in spinning wheel -an ideal spread by Gandhiji to become self-dependent. She wore handloom clothes made by herself in her own loom.

Alongside forming a volunteer committee for freedom movement, she started a sericulture firm to raise eri and muga silk under the supervision of Sericulture inspector Keshadharam Dutta and Manomohan Saikia.

She drew immense inspiration from leading freedom fighter Late Shankar Baruah. Her husband Nabin Chandra Gogoi of Nitaipukhuri-Dihingia village, with whom she got married in 1948, was also a freedom fighter and was imprisoned for six months.

She was elected a member of Dimou Anchalik Panchayat in 1961. She even taught pupils handloom and textiles for seven years.

Towards the fag end of her life, she came to live at Phillobari Rongpur village and then shifted to Phillobari - Gauripur village in Tinsukia district to live permanently along with her family members.

Her death cast a pall of gloom in the greater Phillobari and Doomdooma area. Minister for Labour welfare and Home and MLA Rupesh Gowala visited her house and paid floral tributes to her besides District Commissioner (DC) Swapneel Paul, Doomdooma Co-District Commissioner Nuzhat Nasreen, SP, Tinsukia Gaurav Abhijeet Dilip and other top officials of the district.

Former MLA Durga Bhumij, Tinsukia District Congress Committee President Jayanta Kalita, BJP office bearers including Moran Autonomous Council Chief Executive Arunjyoti Moran, Tinsukia Zila and Doomdooma Sakha Xahitya Xabha, Doomdooma Press Club, Assam Science Society, Doomdooma Branch, Assam Journalist Pensioners Association, Ramdhenu Mahila Chora, Doomdooma, AASU, All Moran Students Union, and as many as 50 organisations paid floral tributes in hallowed memory of the departed soul.

Her body was cremated with full State Honour and the Assam Police Battalion fired three rounds before placing her body in the funeral pyre in presence of a large gathering and family members.

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