APWWS, APSCW mourn
ITANAGAR, 14 Nov: Pioneer women’s right activist Lomte Ete Riba passed away aged 70 on 14 November, following a stroke, in Naharlagun.
The founder general secretary of the Arunachal Pradesh Women’s Welfare Society (APWWS) from 1978 to 1985, she was one of the members of the first team of the Arunachal Pradesh State Commission for Women (APSCW) , from 2005 to 2008
The APPWS expressed profound grief at the passing away of Riba.
“Her sacrifice and pioneering role as a founder general secretary and lifetime member of the APWWS will forever inspire women in the state to courageously advocate for their rights and justice. Her visionary leadership, initiating the fight for women’s rights in our state before it gained widespread awareness, showcases her extraordinary commitment to equality. Her legacy will be a guiding light for generations of women and girls to come,” APWWS president Kani Nada Maling said in a condolence message.
Maling, on behalf of the APWWS and its affiliated bodies, conveyed heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family and prayed for eternal peace of the departed soul.
The Arunachal Pradesh State Commission for Women (APSCW) has deeply mourned the passing away of its former member.
“She worked relentlessly to deliver justice to aggrieved women and girl children, and dedicated her life to the upliftment and empowerment of the women and society as a whole,” the APSCW said.
Riba had also served as the chairperson of the Women’s Cooperative Society, Naharlagun (1977-2018), besides as a member of the Mahila Imdad Committee, Naharlagun, chairperson of Vidyasagar Academy, Naharlagun, chairperson of Morning Glory School, Naharlagun (2006-2011), and chairperson of the Jikom Riba Memorial Society, Ego-Dari circle, West Siang district.
Born to late Menlom Ete and late Kengam Jini in Kugi village (in present West Siang district) in 1953, Riba did her schooling from the Govt Secondary School in Aalo, and completed her matriculation from Banastali Vidyapeet in Vanastali, Rajasthan.
Riba, who was married to Jikom Riba, of Dari village in West Siang district in 1969, had a chance to travel to various places in the Northeast with her husband, who was serving under the NEFA administration.
During her stay in Shillong, she was inspired by the rights, freedom and equality enjoyed by the women in Meghalaya, particularly among the Khasi tribe, which had the matrilineal form of society.
After her rich experiences in Shillong, along with the exposure to various cultures at Pilani and Vanastali in Rajasthan during her study, she developed a deep urge to work for the upliftment and emancipation of women in Arunachal, where women enjoyed very few rights, freedom and equality compared to their male counterparts.
Consequent upon her return to Naharlagun as a result of her husband’s transfer from Shillong, she led and gathered a few likeminded women of the state and chaired many meetings, which culminated in the formation of the APWWS in 1978.
She was unanimously selected as the first general secretary of the APWWS, and served in the capacity till 1985, after which she became an honorary member of the APWWS till 1991. She was the adviser to the APWWS from 1991 till her death. She had been conferred with lifetime membership of the APWWS.
Riba excelled at resolving various matrimonial cases, besides providing domestic and marriage counselling, and was known as ‘Ane Lomte’ (Mother Lomte) to one and all.
She is also credited with the establishment of one of the state’s first women’s cooperative society in 1976 in Naharlagun, which provided subsidised rations and other incidental paraphernalia to downtrodden women of Naharlagun and nearby areas.
She also single-handedly stopped an eviction drive on the Mahila Imdad Committee campus by unscrupulous elements, and had the campus allotted by the government.
She was also associated with the establishment of the erstwhile Morning Glory School, Barapani, and rendered services as the chairperson of the school from 2006 to 2011.
