It was a shocking news received from one of my friends from Ukhrul in the evening of 17th September 2014 at around 6:00 pm that a bomb blast occurred near Neetu Glass House at 5:30 pm killing one on the spot identified as Miss. Sosonao Tangva and her aunt seriously injured. When her aunt was taken to Imphal, she succumbed to her injuries on the way. She was no other than AS Dinah, the former President of the Tangkhul Shanao Long (TSL), the apex women body of the Tangkhul tribe.
I could not attend her funeral service, so I want to give my tribute through this paper as a mark of my last respect.Oh Dinah! Your precious life in the middle age of your life journey has been taken away by the cruel hands of human being who never care of the precious life God has given to us. Your untimely dead was so shocked to everyone of us. Can we say, God has taken away as per His wish, no way to answer. As per the limited knowledge of a human being, God also will not take away so early at the your middle age when a man or a woman became matured and responsible person. But, anyway as a believer of Christ, let us believe that, it’s God’s programme.
I vividly still recalling those golden days while we were in the same school boarding called Raphei Christian English Medium School located in the wildwood, ie, Ngaphar (war-zone) in between Longpi/Nungbi and Lunghar during the period 1973 to 1978 studying in our primary level. No separate dormitory for boys or girls that time in the school boarding, but had a common dormitory for both boys and girls. Those lovely beds were made in such a way that one structure has two beds, ie, one upper and the other one lower. This is to safe space in that room. We boys sleep on the upper bed while you girls sleep on the lower bed. Sometimes, the boy sleeping on the upper bed when urinating at night time, the girl sleeping on the lower bed get the brunt. But, this was due to our young age a nature’s callduring dreaming at night. Many more to be told, yet you are not listening like before.
Though we were from different villages, we grew up together, studied together during the prime time of our younger days. The friendship that has been made since young age is unforgettable.
I feltso sorry for not attending your last funeral service due to so many contemporary worldly engagements, but I attended spiritually and supported through my humble prayer during your last journey funeral service conducted in your birth place, called NungbiKhullenextended to you and your niece SosonaoTangva by your well wishers, friends, relatives and dear ones giving their last respect remembering your services done towards the welfare of the society especially women folk during your good leadership as President of the TangkhulShanao Long(TSL).
May your both souls rest in peace!
Ngathingkhui Yangya
Senior Statistical Officer,
Ministry of Statistics &Programme Implementation,
Govt. of India,
Kohima town
