Ex-Union minister Kabindra Purkayastha passes away at 95

Silchar: Veteran BJP leader and former Union minister Kabindra Purkayastha passed away at the Silchar Medical College and Hospital (SMCH) on Wednesday evening after a prolonged battle with age-related ailments. He was 95.Purkayastha, who had been suffering from multiple health complications, including hypertension, saw his condition worsen on Dec 23, and was admitted to the ICU at SMCH. As his health deteriorated further, he was placed on ventilator support. Hospital authorities declared his death at 5:06pm, shortly after his son, Rajya Sabha MP Kanad Purkayastha, arrived from New Delhi.His mortal remains were kept in a special room at the hospital. On Thursday morning, the body will be taken to the district BJP office in Silchar at 9am, followed by a stop at the District Sports Association (DSA) ground, before the final rites.A towering figure in Assam’s political landscape, Purkayastha was regarded as one of the key architects of the BJP’s organisational growth in the Barak Valley. Beginning his political journey as a grassroots worker in Silchar, he rose steadily through the ranks, earning a reputation as a disciplined organiser, sharp intellectual, and dedicated karyakarta. Party colleagues remember him as a mentor who nurtured generations of workers and leaders, helping the BJP establish a strong base in a region once considered difficult terrain for the party.Purkayastha represented Assam in parliament three times and served as Union minister of state for communications in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee govt (1998–1999).CM Himanta Biswa Sarma expressed deep grief, describing Purkayastha as an inspiration and prolific intellectual who laid the foundation of the BJP in the region. “From the lanes of Silchar to the Parliament of India, his journey and legacy of service and values will endure,” Sarma said, extending condolences to the bereaved family.Union minister Sarbananda Sonowal termed his death a personal loss and a major void in Assam’s political life. “A true stalwart of the BJP, he dedicated his entire life to building the organisation from the grassroots, setting a benchmark for selfless service,” Sonowal said. Several senior BJP leaders, including minister Kaushik Rai, visited SMCH on Wednesday evening to pay their respects.Born in 1931 in Kamarkhal village of Sylhet district (now in Bangladesh), Purkayastha pursued higher education at Gauhati University, earning a master’s degree. He joined RSS in 1951 and later left his job as principal of Ramkrishna Vidyapeeth in Sribhumi to work full-time for the organisation. In 1980, he became a founder member of BJP and played a crucial role in spreading the party’s ideology across the northeast.He was first elected to the Lok Sabha from Silchar in 1991, re-elected in 1998, and returned in 2009 after defeating heavyweight rivals Santosh Mohan Dev (Congress) and Badruddin Ajmal (AUDF). He lost the 2014 election to Sushmita Dev (Congress).Widely known as the patriarch of the BJP in Assam, Purkayastha was awarded an honorary doctorate in Sept 2024 for his contributions to public and social life. His passing marks the end of an era in Assam politics, leaving behind a legacy of organisational discipline, ideological commitment, and public service.