State mourns Kakati�s death

[Dilip/Dil Deka]

Please join me in mourning the death of Satis Kakati, an ex editor of the Assam Tribune and a famous journalist of Assam. As an ex neighbor I feel his absence deeply. He was an inspiration to the youngsters in the neighborhood in the sixties.
  Dilip Deka
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Guwahati, Wednesday, June 21, 2006  
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Satis Chandra Kakati in eternal sleep.

State mourns Kakati’s death
By a Staff Reporter
 GUWAHATI, June 20 – A State funeral was accorded to veteran freedom fighter and journalist Padmashree Satis Chandra Kakati at the Navagraha cremation ground here this afternoon. The pyre was lit by his younger son Pradip Kakati around 1: 30 pm in presence of a good number of his admirers and relatives.

Earlier, the body of Kakati, who led The Assam Tribune and the weekly Asom Bani as the editor for about one-and-a-half decade, was taken in a cortege to the Barowari Puja Mandap, Kamrup Academy H S School, Chenikuthi L P School, Guwahati Press Club and the Assam Tribune campus where people from various walks of life paid their tribute at the mortal remains of the veteran freedom fighter and journalist. 

It needs mention here that Kakati was also associated with various socio-cultural organizations and educational institutes like the Barowari Puja Mandap, Kamrup Academy H S School and Chenikuthi LP School as the president of their managing committees. He was also the founder president of the Assam Sangbadik Sanstha.

The news of the demise of the veteran journalist spread like a wildfire in the city this morning and people from various walks of life thronged his family residence in the city’s Chenikuthi area to pay their last respect to him. Kakati succumbed to old-age ailments at his Chenikuthi residence at the age of 94 around 11-30 last night. He would have turned 95 on October 23 next. He has left behind two sons, four daughters and a host of relatives. His wife predeceased him about two years back.

Personalities like Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi and his Ministerial colleagues Dr Bhumidhar Barman, Gautam Bora, Ripun Bora, former Vice-Chancellor of Dibrugarh University Kamaleswar Bora, ex-president of the Asam Sahitya Sabha and editor of literary magazine Gariyoshi Chandra Prasad Saikia, veteran Gandhian Hema Bharali, present president of the Asam Sahitya Sabha and the editor of the Assamese daily Agradoot Kanak Sen Deka, editor of The Assam Tribune P G Baruah, ex-editor of the Dainik Asam Prafulla Baruah, its present editor Dhirendranath Chakravorty, former Union Ministers Renuka Devi Barkotoki and Bijoya Chakravorty, ex-Ministers Gunin Hazarika and Biraj Sarma, former MP and State NCP president Dr Prabin Sarma, MLA Robin Bardoloi and Deputy Commissioner of Kamrup (Metro) Abinash Joshi also visited the residence of the Kakatis this morning to pay their last respect to the departed freedom fighter and journalist. 

Dr Barman was also present at the cremation ground along with Robin Bardoloi and DC Kamrup (Metro) Abinash Joshi, at the time of lighting of the pyre.

At the Guwahati Press Club, floral tributes were paid at the worldly remains of the veteran journalist. Several veteran journalists like M S Prabhakar, paid their tributes to the veteran journalist at the Press Club campus.

Meanwhile, Governor, Lt Gen (Retd) Ajai Singh has mourned the death of Kakati describing it as an ‘irreparable loss for the country in general and for the State in particular’. The Governor in his condolence message also prayed for the peace of the departed soul and conveyed his sincere condolences to the bereaved family.

Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi has also mourned the death of Kakati as an irreparable loss to the State. Conveying his heartfelt sympathy to the bereaved family, Gogoi, in a condolence message here this evening described Kakati as the father figure of Asom’s journalism. Kakati was always keen to work for the welfare of the society, he said.

The Media Trust, Assam has also mourned the death of Kakati. It has prayed for the eternal peace of his departed soul and conveyed its sympathy to his bereaved family. The Association of Past and Present Office-bearers of the Cotton College Union Society (APPOCCUS) has also mourned the death of Kakati, who was the editor of the Cottonian, the journal of the Cotton College Union Society (CCUS), for the year of 1934-1935. APPOCCUS general secretary Jagadish Dutta said here today that Kakati was the last living member of the 1934-35 batch of the Cotton College students till last night.

The Asom Rajyik Mukti Jujaru Sanmilon has expressed its deep grief over the demise of Kakati and prayed for the eternal peace of his departed soul. In a condolence message, the Sanmilon has also conveyed its sympathy to the bereaved family.

The Publication Board, Assam, the All Assam Students’ Union, the Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuba-Chatra Parishad, the Assam Union of Working Journalists, the State units of the Bharatiya Janata Party, the NCP, the Janata Dal (Secular) and the Sambadik Suraksha Sangram Samiti have also mourned the death of the veteran journalist and freedom fighter.

Kakati’s death was also widely mourned in Dibrugarh, the city Kakati was closely associated with. Dibrugarh RG Baruah Smriti Raksha Samiti, Dibrugarh Bar Library, Dibrugarh Sahitya Sabha, Greater Dibrugarh Press Club, Eastern Assam Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Dibrugarh Mahila Samiti, Dibrugarh Grahak Mancha, Dibrugarh Nagarik Sangha, Dr RK Baruah Law College, Aniruddhadev Granthagar, among other, have condoled the death of the veteran journalist.

All Assam Lawyers’ Association also deeply condoled Kakati’s demise.

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