Arunachal: Media fraternity bids teary adieu to Mintu Tamuli on his last journey!
ITANAGAR- ( By Pradeep Kumar )- Loving Mintu Tamuli, always with a smiling face, left suddenly on Thursday without any notice while on the call of duty, leaving state media fraternity in deep shock and grief.
Large number of media persons led by Arunachal Press Club president Dodum Yangfo, APUWJ president Amar Sangno and Arunachal Electronic & Digital Media Association president Migom Toko followed his mortal remains from RKM Hospital till his last rites were performed at his native place New Rowmari in Assam.
In fact, Mintu, only 32-year-old, is survived by his father and elder sister. He had lost his mother in March last only.
Mintu made his presence felt Mirror of was designer of Arunachal Pradesh Congress Committee magazine Mirror before pursuing journalism as a career. But he came to the field with a bang and made his presence felt Mirror of which I was one of the columnists. Later he started pursuing journalism as a career. He came with a bang and started working for Frontier TV, News18, Assam NE, Prime Time, Pratidin, Rimes Now, Arunachal Vision, CDCN and Arunbhoomi to carve a niche for himself.
Working for so many media organisations by fulfilling their requirements even if as a stringer is not a matter of joke as “the wearer only knows where the shoe pinches’. He would be travelling to remote Indo-China border areas and the best example is when he went to Gelling, 34-km from Tuting, in Upper Siang district along Indi-China border in February 2020 after the water of Sing turned muddy. On return he informed about supplemented by videographic proof. Tsangpo enters there from Tibet and locally called Tsang Chu, before getting the name Siang.
His mortal remains consigned to flames were reduced to ashes as brewing smoke raised to the sky as if the soul flew away in search of a new home.
Death hardly comes with a warning but man is born from earth and goes back to earth after death to justify Gita’s verse:
vāsāṁsi jīrṇāni yathā vihāya
navāni gṛhṇāti naro’parāṇi,
tathā śarīrāṇi vihāya jīrṇāni
anyāni saṁyāti navāni dehī.
(As a person replaces old garments by new ones, the soul similarly leaves the old body to accept a new body)
“We come and cry and that is life, we cry and go and that is death,” goes the saying. The sound of cry will die down as Mintu’s voice addressing me alwasy ‘Aboh’ would never be heard again.
His plan to record my voice for Arunbhoomi about decision of NEFA chief administrator K A A Raja directing Geological Survey of India officers to replace the negative report about establishment of capital at Naharlagun by a favourable one remained unfulfilled. He had lengthy discussion over telephone with me on June 28 and 29. Aals….He would be forgotten with passing time but remain in chapter of media history of the state only.
On learning about the hocking news, state’s literary giant-cum Arunachal Pradesh Literary Society president Yeshe Dorjee Thongchi had rushed to RKM Hospital to pay his last respect.
“Mintu was a very active member of APLS to do all running errand jobs and his death has caused an irreparable loss to the society, he told this daily Friday with a chocked voice. My condolences are with his family, “Let his soul rest in eternal peace”, he added.
Mintu was called to National Youth Project office once to have a detailed discussion with me as vice president and HP Biswas as president to become part of NYP projects as videographer and he had consented. Thus, the NYP also joins the state mourners in his sudden death.
Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein, in his condolence message said: “I am deeply saddened to learn about the untimely demise of promising journalist Mintu Tamuli, who passed away on Thursday evening due to cardiac arrest”.
Mentioning about the media and socio-cultural organizations he was associated with, he said that “his departed at a time when the media industry needed his skills, especially his untiring professional guidance. Being a dedicated journalist, he will be remembered for constantly championing access to information, media freedom and freedom of expression. His untimely demise has created a huge gap which would take time to be filled.
“My condolences to his family members, colleagues and media fraternity of the state. May his soul rest in eternal peace?”
APCC president-cum-former chief minister Nabam Tuki, expressing his deep shock over Mintu’s sudden death, recalled that he was associated with party’s monthly journal Mirror as a designer during 2014 to 2015. He was very hard working and a committed journalist of the state. His dedicated services and commitment towards his responsibilities will always be remembered.
On behalf of rank and file of the party, Tuki conveyed his deep sense of condolences to the bereaved family members and prayed: May his soul rest in eternal peace!
Mintu, being an Assamese, used to take part in regular activities of Naharlagun Kristi Kendra too.
The Kristi Kendra, in its condolence message, expressed deep shock and mourned untimely demise of “our young and active member. He was very simple, hard working and a committed journalist of the state. He was associated with Kristi Kendra for last many years and rendered his devoted service as assistant information & publicity secretary during 2018 to 2020. His dedicated services were immeasurable and would always be remembered”.
As words are not enough to consol the family members, Kristi Kendra members convey its deepest sense of grief to all his near and dear ones and pray for the departed soul to rest in eternal peace.
