Arunachal Pradesh Assembly pays tributes to former ministers

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ITANAGAR: The Arunachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly paid tribute on Monday to three former ministers of the state who died this year in May. Speaker Passang Dorjee Sona led the house in making obituary references in respect of former ministers Kardu Taipodia, Neelam Taram, and Chow Tewa Mein. Former Minister Kardu Taipodia died on May 4 of this year after a prolonged illness. He is survived by two wives, four sons, and two daughters. Born in 1942 in Ripo village in Lower Siang district, Taipodia did his primary education in Sissiborgaon, Assam, and passed his matriculation from the government secondary school in Aalo in 1963. He completed his graduation from JN College, Pasighat, in 1968. "He was an avid social activist from his schooling days and was a member of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyalaya Parishad from 1964 to 1969, president of the Arunachal Pradesh Youth Congress Committee from 1976 to 1985, chairman of the North East Youth Coordination Committee from 1976 to 1985, and general secretary-cum-AICC member from 1989 to 1994," the speaker said. He contested the MLA election as the Congress Party candidate from the undivided Aalo assembly constituency in 1984 and the Likabali assembly constituency in 1989. He won the Likabali assembly seat in 1994 and was inducted as cabinet minister (tax and excise, transport, and rural development) in the Gegong Apang cabinet.

He also contested the MLA election on an NCP ticket in 1999 and the western Arunachal Pradesh parliamentary seat in 2004 on a Samajwadi Party ticket. Making reference in respect of former Home Minister Neelam Taram, who died on May 5 last at the Tomo Riba Institute of Health and Medical Science (TRIHMS) due to prolonged illness, the Speaker informed that he was 66 and left behind his wife, three sons, and two daughters, along with many grandchildren. Born in 1957 in Deed village under Yachuli circle in Lower Subansiri district, Taram served as a junior teacher from 1981 to 1983 before joining politics. He was elected as the first MLA from Yachuli Assembly Constituency in 1990 and served as Civil Supply and Legal Metrology Minister in the Gegong Apang cabinet. He was the first home minister of the state from 1991 to 1995. He was re-elected from the constituency in 1995 and inducted again into Apang’s ministry as home minister for the second term until August 23, 1996.

He was also elected as Congress Legislature Party Leader from 1996 to 1999 and served as leader of the opposition in the state Legislative Assembly. Phassang also made reference to former minister Chow Tewa Mein, who breathed his last on May 15 this year. Born on March 31, 1943, in Chowkham village in Namsai district, Mein did his schooling at the prestigious Don Bosco School in Guwahati (Assam) and graduated from B. Baruah College, Guwahati. He was elected as a member of the Pradesh Council in 1972. When the Pradesh Council was converted to the provisional legislative assembly in August 1975, he became a member of the provisional legislative assembly in the same year.

In 1978, he was elected from the Namsai-Chowkham assembly constituency and became a member of the first 30 elected MLAs of the state on a Janata Party ticket. After the strength of the legislative assembly was increased to 60 members on attainment of statehood in 1987, he contested from the Chowkham assembly constituency and was elected as MLA in 1995, 2004, 2009, and 2014. He served as the horticulture minister in 1995 and as the PHE&WS minister in 1998. Later, he served as the AHV&DD parliamentary secretary in 2009 and as the environment and forest parliamentary secretary from 2011–2019. He had retired from active politics after 2019. During his long political career of 47 years, he also served as pro tem speaker of the state assembly several times. "The untimely demise of the first-generation leaders is a great loss to the state," the speaker added.

Chief Minister Pema Khandu also joined the house in paying respect to the three leaders along with other members. Recalling his meetings with the leaders, Khandu termed them great personalities with stunning political acumen. The chief minister announced to rename some of the structures or institutions in their names, keeping in mind their contributions to the socio-economic development of the state, and accordingly directed the concerned MLAs to recommend it to the government. Khandu also requested that the speaker send condolences on behalf of the assembly and the government to the families of the departed leaders. Former chief minister and senior Congress leader Nabam Tuki also took part in paying obeisance to the departed souls. "All the three dynamic leaders contributed a lot to the development of the state. With their demise, the state lost three first-generation pioneers," Tuki added. The house later observed a two-minute silence as a mark of respect for the departed souls.

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