Gentleman politician 
Brighu Phukan was one of the signatories to the 1985 historic Assam Accord between the AASU and the Centre.

North East News Agency

After battling liver and lung ailments for quite sometime, former Assam Home Minister and one of the architects of historic Assam Accord Bhrigu Kumar Phukan died at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi recently. Fifty-year-old Phukan is survived by his wife and  a daughter.

Phukan was brought to Delhi from Guwahati about for treatment after his condition deteriorated.

Born at Sibsagar in Upper Assam on April 25, 1956, Brighu Phukan, a law graduate, was a leading figure of the six-year-old agitation (1979-85) against illegal migrants by All Assam Studentsˇ¦ Union (AASU) along with former chief minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta. Prafulla Mahanta was the president of the influential student body and Brighu Phukan was its general secretary.

Brighu Phukan was one of the signatories to the 1985 historic Assam Accord between the AASU and the Centre that brought to an end the bloodshed during six-years anti-foreigners agitation.

After the Accord, the AASU leaders formed the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and subsequently formed the regional party government headed by Mahanta. However, after differences with Mahanta, Phukan left the AGP along with former Union Minister late Dinesh Goswami and others and formed Natun Asom Gana Parishad in 1991. He rejoined the parent party before 1996 elections.

He was elected to the state Assembly for three consecutive times from 1985 to 2001 from Jalukbari constitunecy in Guwahati. However, in 2001 he lost the polls.

After his death Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi termed Brighu Phukan a ˇ§gentleman politicianˇ¨. The Chief Minister said that his behaviour at the Assembly was something worth emulating by new members. He was a clean leader,¨ Mr. Gogoi added.

Former Assam chief minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, who was AASU president, Phukan was the organisation's general secretary during Assam Agitation said: The state of Assam has lost a very able leader. Phukan's death is not only a big personal loss to me, but a very great loss to the State.¨

His death has left a vacuum in the party. He spoke less but his few words were of great significance,¨ said present AGP president Brindabon Goswami.

He was a clean politician and an able student leader,¨ AASU adviser Sammujjal Bhattacharyya said in his condolence messege.

Depite the loss at the hustings, Brighu Phukan was a big name in the political firmament of Assam. He was tipped to contest from one of the prestigious seats of Guwahati on AGP ticket in the forthcoming Assembly elections. But because of ill health, he was compelled to withdraw from the contest.

Brighu Phukan was almost a odd man out in todays genre of politicians with his mild nature, soft spoken personality and clean image.

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