CHOWKHAM, 15 May: Former minister Chow Tewa Mein passed away on Monday while he was being taken to Dibrugarh (Assam) for treatment after his health deteriorated.
According to family sources, he died on the way to Dibrugarh, and his body was later brought back to his home here in Namsai district.
Born on 31 March, 1943 in Chowkham village, CT Mein was the second son of late Chow Pok Gohain and elder brother of Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein.
He had done his schooling from the prestigious Don Bosco School in Guwahati (Assam) and graduated from B Boruah College, Guwahati.
CT Mein 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 & 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 Theravada Buddhist Society, Itanagar (TBSI) has conveyed condolences to the bereaved family of late Mein, and described him as “a true leader and prominent member of the society” in a condolence message.
“Mein’s contributions to our community will forever be remembered and cherished. May his soul attain the supreme bliss of nirvana,” TBSI president Chau Jahana Mungyak said.
