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Dimapur, Jan. 11 (EMN): Nagaland saw as many as six legislators, who were elected to the 13th Legislative Assembly, passing away before the completion of their tenure (2018-2023).
Coincidentally, the COVID-19 pandemic also broke out during this period.
The death of 23 Impur Assembly Constituency MLA Dr. Imtiwapang Aier last week has reduced the number of legislators in Nagaland Assembly to 59.
Imtikumzuk Longkumer (1967-2018)
Born on January 21, 1967 in Ungma village, Imtikumzuk Longkumer passed away on September 22, 2018, at the age of 51. He was holding the portfolio of Advisor for Excise and Sericulture, government of Nagaland when he died of cardiac arrest while undergoing treatment at Apollo Hospital in New Delhi
Longkumer started his political career as a member of the Congress youth wing in the early 1990s before entering electoral politics in 2008 by contested from Aonglenden Assembly Constituency as an independent candidate but lost.
In 2013 general election, he became an MLA for the first time after winning on Congress ticket and served As Deputy Speaker of the Nagaland Legislative Assembly (NLA) and parliamentary secretary of IPR in the 12th NLA.
He contested in 2018 state assembly election on the Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) ticket and was re-elected, following which he was made the advisor for Excise and Sericulture department till he breathed his last.
A state funeral was accorded to him at Ungma Aonglenden on September 25, 2018.
T Torechu (1948-2019)
T Torechu passed away on December 16, 2019, at the age of 71 from CIHSR, Dimapur.
Born in 1948, he did his early education from Pungro Government School; Class 12 from GHS Tuensang and higher studies from Fazal Ali College, Mokokchung.
Before joining active politics, he served as a government teacher and held several posts in various organisations. He was elected to the Nagaland Legislative Assembly from Pungro Kiphire in 2003 on Bharatiya Janata Party ticket, before joining the Naga People's Front (NPF). He was also elected from this constituency in 2008, 2013 and 2018.
Torechu won four consecutive elections -- in 2003 on BJP ticket and in 2008, 2013 and 2018 on NPF tickets.
A state funeral for Torechu was held on December 17 at Pungro town local ground.
Vikho-o Yhoshu (1951-2019)
Vikho-o Yhoshu passed away on December 30, 2019 at the age of 67, at a hospital in Mumbai after battling a lung cancer. He was the Speaker of Nagaland Legislative Assembly when he passed away.
Born on October 1, 1951, Yhoshü did his early schooling from Kohima Government High School, where he did his matriculation in 1968. Thereafter, he did his pre-university from Cotton College, Guwahati, in 1969, before going on to do B Tech (1st class with honours) from Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad in 1974 and Certificate in Industrial Engineering and Management from the same institute in 1976.
He was awarded Mine Manager’s First Class Certificate of Competency in All India Competitive Examination, in 1976.
He entered politics and was elected in the 2008 general election on NPF ticket from 14 Southern Angami-1 Assembly constituency. He served as the adviser (IT&TE), chairman of Development Authority of Nagaland from March 2008 to May 2009 and adviser (IT&C) from June 2009 to February 2013.
Yhoshü was re-elected to the 12th NLA from the same constituency on NPF ticket and served as parliamentary secretary of Housing, Treasuries & Accounts (T&A) from February 2013 to April 2014; parliamentary secretary of Animal Husbandry & Veterinary, T&A and Legal Metrology & Consumer Protection from May 2014 to December 2014; parliamentary secretary of Mechanical & Chairman NSMDC from February 2017 to December 2017; and adviser mechanical & NSMDC from December 2017 to January 2018.
He was re-elected for the third consecutive time in 2018 from the same Constituency on NDPP ticket and became the Speaker of NLA on March 13, 2018.
A state funeral service was accorded to late Vikho-o on January 1, 2020 at the official residence of the Speaker. As a mark of respect, the government declared a three-day mourning in the state from December 30, 2019 to January 1, 2020.
CM Chang (1943-2020)
Chongshen Mongkosungkum Chang (CM Chang) passed away on October 12, 2020, at the age of 77, at Naga Hospital Authority Kohima (NHAK) due to COVID-19 complications. He reportedly contracted COVID-19 besides having other health issues (comorbidities).
Chang was holding the portfolio of Minister for Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Justice & Law, government of Nagaland, when he passed away.
Born on April 1, 1943, at Noksen village in Tuensang district, Chang did his early education from Government Middle School, Noksen in 1957 before completing matriculation from Government High School Mokokchung in 1959 and BA from St. Edmund’s College (NEHU), Shillong, in 1969.
He served as the vice-president of NPF from 2003 to 2011 and contested in the general elections held in 2003 and 2008 from 51-Noksen Assembly Constituency on NPF party ticket but lost on both the occasions. However, he got elected to Lok Sabha in 2009 and remained as Member of Parliament till 2013.
He was elected to the 12th Nagaland Legislative Assembly (NLA) from 51 Noksen Assembly Constituency on NPF party ticket in 2013 and was appointed as the minister for School Education.
However, he resigned from the membership of the NLA in the same month and retained the seat in the bye-election held later in the year from the same party and constituency.
Chang was re-elected to the 13th NLA from 51-Noksen Assembly Constituency on NDPP party ticket in 2018 and was appointed as minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change and Justice and Law before passing away.
Toshi Wuntung (1964-2021)
Toshi Wuntung passed away on July 1, 2021, at the age of 56 after a brief illness, at New Delhi. He was holding the portfolio of Advisor of IPR, SCERT and Village Guards when he passed away.
He was said to be undergoing treatment for post-COVID-19-related health complications at BLK Hospital in Delhi, where he died.
Born on August 29, 1964, Wungtung made his electoral debut in 2018 on NDPP ticket from 58 Shamatore-Chessore constituency and won the contest.
He was one of the few scholar-turned-politicians from the state. His educational qualification included MA, M Phil, de-registered senior research scholar, and PhD from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.
A state funeral was held at Wungtung’s mother’s residence on July 3.
Dr. Imtiwapang Aier (1973-2023)
Dr. Imtiwapang Aier died on January 7, 2023 at the age of 49 in Dimapur after a brief illness.
Born on January 22, 1973, Dr. Aier had am PhD in Geology and left a career in academics to join politics. He contested in the 2013 state general election on a Congress ticket from 23 Impur Constituency and won. He served as Parliamentary Secretary for Geology and Mining and also as the Speaker of the 12th Nagaland Legislative Assembly when TR Zeliang was the chief minister.
He contested again in the 2018 Nagaland Assembly election from the same constituency on NPF ticket and won the contest. He later merged with the NDPP along with 20 other NPF MLAs. A state funeral was held at The Heritage Kohima on January 8, 2023, before he was laid to rest at his native village Sungratsü in Mokokchung district on January 9.