ITANAGAR, 26 Jul: Lijum Riba, who was among the first radio announcers of the state, passed away at his residence in Torajan in Lower Siang district on 26 July, aged about 94 years.
He is survived by his wife, three sons and a daughter.
Riba was among the early graduates of the state, having graduated in 1962-63 from St Edmund’s College, Shillong. After graduation, he took up entrepreneurship, and was instrumental in road construction works in the present-day Itanagar Capital Region, and the construction of the Doimukh-Ziro-Tamen-Raga-Daporijo road in the late ’60s and the early ’70s.
He had served as the general secretary of the All Arunachal Pradesh Contractors Association, based in Naharlagun, from 1971-73. He was also one of the members of the committee that designed the present-day All Arunachal Pradesh Students’ Union flag.
Riba joined government service as a junior teacher at the government school in Daring in the late ’70s, and was transferred to the government primary school in Torajan in Kangku circle of Lower Siang district in 1981, where he served till his superannuation in April 2009.
He had also served as an announcer at the All India Radio (AIR), Dibrugarh, from 1967-68.
“Late Riba was one of the statesmen of Kangku circle and was regarded for his oratory skills and knowledge of legal and customary laws. He was a firm believer of the indigenous faith and was actively involved in Donyi-Poloism in the region,” Skill Development & Entrepreneurship Assistant Director Jumbom Riba said in a release.
Lijum Riba’s last rites will be performed at his native place on 27 July.
