Tarun Gogoi (1 April 1936 – 23 November 2020) was an Indian politician and lawyer who served as the 13th Chief Minister of Assam from 2001 to 2016.

During his tenure as the chief minister, he is credited with ending militant insurgency and mitigating violence in addition to improving the state's fiscal condition.

He was also Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Food and Processing Industries in the P. V. Narasimha Rao ministry from 1993 to 1995.

He quit the Thirteenth Lok Sabha, mid-term, to assume office as the Chief Minister of Assam in 2001, serving a total of six terms as a member of parliament.

[13][12] During his second term in the Lok Sabha, he was elected as the Joint Secretary of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) in 1976 under Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

On 18 May 2001, Gogoi was unanimously elected leader of the Congress legislative party and was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Assam.

Gogoi was faced with the onerous task of bringing the state out of the morass of militant violence and financial instability characterised by a huge debt burden with even government employees not receiving their salaries on time.

Initiating the discussion, Brindaban Goswami said that the people of Assam had brought the Congress to power expecting a clean and transparent Government.

He also referred to the ethnic conflict between the Demasa-Hmar group and alleged that the law and order situation had worsened in the last two years.

Stemming from dissent within the party that saw 32 MLAs resign, he could not get the Indian National Congress to victory in the 2016 legislative assembly elections.

[20] Gogoi was posthumously included in the list of Padma Bhushan awardees, India's third-highest civilian honour, for 2021.

Countries Gogoi visited included Indonesia, Singapore, Canada, the UK, Italy, Sri Lanka, the US, China, Switzerland, France, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Spain, Belgium, South Korea, Japan, Vietnam and Thailand.

[29][30][31] On 25 October, Gogoi was discharged from hospital, though Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma stated his further treatment would continue at his official residence.

[32][33] Gogoi was hospitalised again on 2 November after he complained of breathing problems the previous night and was immediately shifted to the ICU to put him on NIV because of high ammonia levels, a week after he had been discharged.

[34][35][36] On 21 November, Gogoi suffered a multi-organ failure and was on dialysis with his blood pressure fluctuating, and was put on ventilator support.

[40][41] On 23 November 2020, at 5:34 PM, Gogoi was pronounced dead at the Gauhati Medical College and Hospital due to COVID-19 induced complications and multiple organ failure, aged 84.

He set high ethical values in the field of politics with his simple life-style and contributed profusely in strengthening democratic values in the country"Gogoi's body was kept at Srimanta Sankardeva Kalakshetra, a cultural institution in Guwahati, for people to pay their final tributes.

Then his remains were taken to a church at Six Mile in Guwahati, then to one at Naamghar at Zoo Road after which he was taken to Burha Jame Masjid at Ambari and then to Ugratara temple near Latasil before his cremation.

[58] On 26 November, Gogoi's final rites were performed with full state honours at the Nabagraha Cremation ground in Guwahati.

Gogoi's wife Dolly, daughter Chandrima, daughter-in-law Elizabeth and other family members placed sandalwood on the pyre before it was lit by Gaurav.

[59] Many politicians were present, including Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, state BJP President Ranjeet Kumar Dass and state congress president Ripun Bora were all present.