Gajen Tanti

Gajen Tanti (12th March 1937 - 9th July 1999) was an Indian politician and First Cabinet minister of Assam (1972) from the Tea Labour Community. He was a member of Indian National Congress, Indian National Congress (Socialist) and Nationalist Congress Party. He was one of the most loyalists of the 5th Chief Minister of Assam Sarat_Chandra_Singha|Sarat Chandra Sinha and remained till his last breath.
===Early life and education===
 Gajen Tanti also named as Gomaya Telenga S/O: Arpan Tanti also named as Apakar Telenga was born in a Telenga family on 12th March 1937 in Mezenga tea estate, Titabor, Jorhat District. He started his education at Bogargaon L.P School about 2 miles away from his residence at Mezenga Tea estate. He joined at Titabor Mihiram Saikia High School after successfully completing M.E. School at Titabor with a scholarship. He completed his matriculation in 1954 and started his higher education at J.B College, Jorhat, Assam in the night shift since he had to go for a job during the daytime at Assam Chah Mazdoor Sangha, Jorhat Branch. He also had to sell rice and vegetable on the Sunday market at Dakhin hengra. On every Monday, he returns to his rented house, which is 25 km away at Nehru park, Jorhat by cycle. Since his father was a Sardar at Mezenga tea estate and could not bear his study expenses at Jorhat. Tanti had to earn his own expenses for his higher study. 
===Political Career===
In 1960 Tanti became the secretary of ACMS (Assam Chah Mazdoor Sangha), Jorhat branch anonymouslyACMS Central Office Secretaries http://assamchahmazdoorsangha.org/acms_central_office.html. He is the first secretary in the Jorhat branch from the Tea-garden_community_of_Assam|Tea garden labor community.
Mariani_(Vidhan_Sabha_constituency)|Mariani assembly constituency was formed in 1967, Gajen Tanti was elected to the member legislative assembly for the first time from Mariani,_Jorhat|Mariani in 1967 from Indian_National_Congress|Indian national congress partyMembers of Legislative Assembly, Mariani Vidhan Sabha Constituency https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mariani_(Vidhan_Sabha_constituency). In 1971 he was elected as General Secretary Assam_Chah_Mazdoor_Sangha|ACMS central Committee at Dibrugarh. In the same year, he formed the ATEICOL (Assam Tea Employees Industrial Co-Operation) and became the first President. In 1972 he was elected to the Mariani,_Jorhat|Mariani assembly constituency for the second time. He became the first cabinet minister of Assam from the Tea-garden_community_of_Assam|tea garden labor community in the Sarat Chandra Sinha ministry. He was entrusted with departments like Food and Civil Supply, Labour, Co-operative, Transport, Trade and Commerce, Municipality, Housing, etc. during his political tenureThe Assam cabinet decided to provide home loans to tea workers and the leader said it was when the late Gajen Tanti was the labour minister http://www.newstimesassam.webcomipl.net/newsupdates/index.php?aID=1582&highlight=price. Gajen Tanti was elected to the Mariani,_Jorhat|Mariyani assembly for the third time in 1978 from Indian_Congress_(Socialist)|Indian National Congress (Socialist) since the 
===Personal life and Death===
On 9th July 1999 while returning from Jorhat to Guwahati in Assam_State_Transport_Corporation|ASTC bus for a crucial meeting at Guwahati for the merger of Indian_Congress_(Socialist)|Indian National Congress (Socialist) with Nationalist_Congress_Party|Nationalist Congress Party, he died in an accident at Siljuri, 16 km away from BokakhatGajen Tanti died https://www.telegraphindia.com/india/25-injured-in-northeast-mishap/cid/918909. He Indian_National_Congress|Indian National Congress was divided in the same year. He was a loyalist of Sarat_Chandra_Singha|Sarat Chandra Sinha and remained till his last breath. 
After becoming the General Secretary of ACMShttp://assamchahmazdoorsangha.org/acms_central_office.html, he signed the first-ever MOU with the planters Association for the increase of labour wages. He was also instrumental in pension and gratuity implementation for the tea garden laborers. There was no student organization for tea garden workers at that time in Assam. Gajen Tanti took initiative in the form of " All Assam Tea Community Student Union " now ATTSA at Rangajan Tea estate in 1965. He became the Vice President of INTUC and a member of ILO during his lifetime.
Category:1937 births
Category:1999 deaths
Category:People from Jorhat district
Category:Indian Congress (Socialist) politicians