Dr. Rabi Narayan Dash, our advisor, is no more. He passed away in the early hours of 26th August 2008 after a brief illness. He was 74. His demise has caused a void in the fraternity of anthropologists, archeologists and historians.

A scholar of high profundity and integrity, Dr. Dash preferred to remain low profile. A man of quiet disposition, he remained prolific in publishing his scholarly works. Even till his last breath he was enquiring about the status of his forthcoming publications. And irony is that had he lived for twelve more hours, he would have seen the books he authored and edited that IGRMS, Bhopal supported for publication. An unassuming person though he was, his involvement in every work that was entrusted to him, left some mark of his individuality. Under his stewardship, as the Superintendent of the Orissa State Museum, many exhibitions were organized. His untiring effort made all these exhibitions remarkable and educative.

He was General secretary Pandita Nilakantha Smriti Samiti, member Orissa Cultural Forum, member, Institute of Orissan Culture, founder member, Kedarnath Gabesana Pratisthana, Secretary, Centre For Heritage Studies, Life member Utkal Sammilani, founder member of Gopabandhu Smriti Mahavidyalay, Sakhigopal.Puri. He retired as the Superintendent of the Orissa State Museum in the year 1993 but never appeared to have retired from activities that he was pursuing as a part of the Museum.

The Tribal Tribune family mourns his death and firmly believes that his works shall act as beacon light for us in our journey through publications of The Tribal Tribune.