Assam lost a true son today in the demise of Hemendra Prasad Barooah, and the rest of us in the “north eastern” states a gentleman. What can one add to the eulogies that will be heaped on “Hemenda” as he was popularly known. He stands tall amongst the personalities of the present day be leagured tea industry in Assam today, equally as an industrialist and a philanthropist. He is credited amongst many other notable achievements of establishing the first tea company owned by an Assamese family to go public and be listed in the stock exchanges in Kolkata, Mumbai and Guwahati. Barooah was instrumental in the starting of tea auctions at Guwahati. The Calcutta based broking fraternity at that time vehemently opposed the Assam Government’s move to have an auction centre in Guwahati.I have had the privilege of meeting him on several occassions, mostly on invitations from the generosity and genuine spirit of his heart. Every occasion was a heartwarming gracious encounter. Although blessed in age he carried himself with the curiosity of a child. He loved to converse on almost every subject and kept himself abreast on not just politics but music, especially music from Assam and the new generation of musicians. Mr.Barooah was an excellent host he never liked things to be half done or half hearted. It was evident in the manner in which he lived. He had a keen eye for the arts and possesses a vast collection paintings of several maestros which line the walls of his immaculate homes dotted across the country. The man was from another era and never really got over the nostalgia of the charming life of the tea garden .He tried to recreate the ambience of the genteel tea life for the public by renovating his ancestral home in Jorhat and a couple of “bara sahib”: buildings in the gardens as concept of tea tourism excited tour operators in Assam. Each of them are beautiful places and the manner in which they are looked after will be a befitting tribute to his memory and contributions Time is too slow for those who wait, Too swift for those who fear, Too long for those who grieve, Too short for those who rejoice, But for those who love, time is Eternity. Henry Van Dyke, American author, academic and clergyman (1852 - 1933) May your soul rest in peace, Hemenda.