SHILLONG: Former Union Minister and veteran Congress leader Paty Ripple Kyndiah (87) passed away following a cardiac arrest in a city hospital on Thursday night .
Family sources said that he was admitted at Bethany Hospital at around 8.30 pm on Thursday after he complained of uneasiness and he breathed his last at around 11-40 pm.
Kyndiah is survived by two daughters, three sons and a host of grandchildren.
Kyndiah, who retired from active politics in 2009 prior to the Lok Sabha polls, had served as the Union Tribal Affairs Minister and DoNER Minister in 2004 when Congress-led UPA was in power.
Born on May 7, 1928, Kyndiah, a Hill State Movement leader, was a prominent figure in Meghalaya politics as from 1970 to 1993, he was a member of the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly. While from 1975 to 1988, Kyndiah served as cabinet minister in State, as Leader of Opposition, Acting Chief Minister and Speaker of the Assembly.
Kyndiah had also served as Governor of Mizoram from 1993 to 1998 and subsequently he was elected to Lok Sabha three times (1998, 1999 and 2004) from Shillong seat.
Kyndiah had a long and successful political career. With Rev. J.J.M. Nichols Roy as President, he was Joint Secretary of the Khasi-Jaintia National Conference, a powerful political party in the Khasi and Jaintia Hills. In 1964 he joined the All Party Hill Leaders Conference and also became its General Secretary. He held the post of Chairman of the Shillong Municipal Board. When Meghalaya was first formed as an autonomous State in 1970, Kyndiah was elected a member of its Provisional Assembly.
A pioneer in cooperatives and banking in the region, Kyndiah was Vice-Chairman, Assam Cooperative Apex Bank, founded the Shillong Cooperative Urban Bank and was the Founder Chairman of the Meghalaya Cooperative Apex Bank. He was the Red Cross chief of Assam and later Meghalaya for several years.
Kyndiah was one of the founders and President of Sein Jaintia, an influential social and cultural organisation, and has been an active member of the Assam Sangeet Natak Akademi. He was also the President of Gandhi Study Centre, Shillong and has been the Chief Patron of the Meghalaya Body-building Association.
Kyndiah also authored popular books, Jawaharlal Nehru: The Thinking Dynamo, Meghalaya: Yesterday and Today, Mizo Freedom Fighters, Pillars of Mizo Society and others.
