Noted social worker Gopal Chandra Sarmah passes away

HT Correspondent
TEZPUR, Oct 9: Noted social worker, theater and bhaona personality, one of the former officer bearers of historic Baan stage and an inhabitant of Da-Dhora-Bamunchuburi, Gopal Chandra Sarmah passed away on Sunday morning due to old-aged ailment at his residence here. He was 92.
Born in 1934, late Gopal Chandra Sarmah after completing his academic life he joined the Assam agricultural department in 1960 and retired as assistant inspector of District Agricultural office, Tezpur on March 31 in 1994. Closely connected with different socio-cultural organizations in Tezpur since his school life, Sarmah could win the hearts of the people through his mesmerizing performances in bhaona and theater stages. After his retirement he also served the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) being the president of the Majgaon Anchalick committee.
As an artist he has acted in various plays while as a bhaona artist he could captivate the audience through his acting. Besides this, as green-room director and stage manager of Baan Theatre and secretary of the Baan Theatre Puja Committee, Sarmah dedicatedly served the historic Baan Theater for a long stint.
On the other hand, with the close attachment of cultural icon Kalaguru Bishnu Prasad Rabha, Mancha Konwar Chandradhar Goswami, Tulsi Das, Kulen Sarmah, Bhola Kalita, Deben Sarmah, etc., he acted in various plays including ‘Nilambar’ and ‘Sah-Jahan’.
Late Sarmah was also a selfless drama organiser. It needs to be mentioned here that besides a number of socio-cultural organisations, he was also connected with Majgaon Rongali Bihu Committee and Majgaon Sankar Mandir, Uttar Anchalik Sisu Bikash, Charidwar Brahman Samaj, Sonitpur Brahman Samaj, Da-Dhora-Bamun Chuburi Namghar and Village Development Committee and many more organisations. He was the president of Majgaon Rongali Bihu Committee consistently for 16 years. He also published a magazine ‘Mukti’ and later he published a book entitled ‘Paribhromi Mon’ – a compilation of story and poem.
Different organisations and noted personalities including Pallab Lochan Das, MP, Tezpur, Prithiraj Rabha, MLA, Tezpur, Brindaban Goswami, ex-MLA, Jadab Chandra Sarma, principal secretary, Assam Sahitya Sabha, Pankaj Kumar Nath, president, AAJU, Dr Saru Saharia Nath, president, Sadou Asom Lekhika Samaroh Samiti, Basudev Sarma, president, Sonitpur Zila Sahitya Sabha, Dr Bhupen Saikia, Tezpur Sahitya Sabha, Ratul Kumar Nath, president, AGP, Tezpur district committee, Bankim Sarma, president, Baan Theatre and his associates Jitumani Dev Choudhury, Bhupen Sarma, Rajib Mahanta, Seemarekha Barua, president, Majgaon Gaon Panchayat, Prasanta Kumar Das, Uttar Paschim Tezpur Sahitya Sabha, Debabrata Sarma, secretary, Tezpur Sahitya Sabha, Pallab Bhattacharya, Tezpur Sahitya Sabha, Jayanta Bora, BJP Gabharu Circle, Mahadev Sarma Sahitya Sabha, Chariduwar Brahman Samaj, Sonitpur Press Club, Sonitpur Journalists Union, Padmanath Gohain Barua Sahitya Sabha and many organisations and individuals paid their last tribute to the departed soul. At the moment of death, the noted social worker is survived by his wife, a son and a daughter along with many of his followers.