Guwahati: 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 here 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 AW
Figgis and Company in 1951, family sources 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, the sources
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 sources 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,
the sources said.
He had published ten books by now renowned writers who
were initially languishing for want of publishers.
PTI
First Published: Wednesday, September 28, 2011, 16:20