Pioneer of tea broker industry passes away

Jayanta Kumar Borooah, the pioneer of tea brokering industry in Assam, freedom fighter, publisher and the last surviving actor of the first Assamese cinema 'Joymati', died in Guwahati on Wednesday.

He was 85 and is survived by his wife and two daughters.

The prominent tea planter was the first batch of 12 Indian tea tasters in the country recruited by tea major A W Figgis and Company in 1951, his family said.

After serving as a member of the board of directors of Figgis, he founded the Eastern Tea Brokers here in 1970 and had inaugurated Assam's first and Asia's largest tea auction centre Guwahati Tea Auction Centre (GTAC).

Possessing vast experience in the tea trade, manufacturing, development and field practices, they said Borooah had innovated a new concept of tea drying and manufactured a prototype model of tea drying and manufacturing in 1966.

Borooah had also acted as a child artist in the role of Lai in 'Joymoti' produced and directed by Jyoti Prasad Agarwala in 1934.

He had also produced a documentary `Verdant Rows Crimson Heart' on tea plantation and manufacture that was telecast in Doordarshan nationally, the family said.

His 13-episode TV serial 'Ritu Ahe Ritu Jai' produced for Doordarshan Guwahati was judged the best TV serial in 1994 and also bagged the best actress and actor awards.

The tea veteran was a freedom fighter joining the Quit India Movement in 1942 and was twice confined in Sibsagar jail. He was conferred with Tamra Patra as a freedom fighter, they said.

 He had published ten books by now renowned writers who were initially languishing for want of publishers.