Our Correspondent
KOHIMA, NOVEMBER 17
Noted social worker and executive director Nagaland Peace Centre, Lhusi Haralu has passed away on Tuesday in Kohima. She was 83.
Late Lhusi Haralu was the widow of late Padmashree Thepfoorya Haralu, IFAS and mother of Bano Haralu former editor Eastern Mirror. Late Haralu was an ardent social worker who had served in various offices like the Nagaland State Social Welfare Advisory Board, Nagaland Council for Child Welfare, Family Planning Association of India Kohima branch as Chairperson, President and Vice President respectively. She was also a founding member of the Indian Red Cross Society Nagaland State Branch and was the Vice President in its first term; and was also associated with the Naga Mothers’ Association (NMA) as President of its registered wing and later as Advisor to the main body. Haralu was inducted as the Executive Director of the Nagaland Peace Centre in 1984, an office she continued to hold till the day of her passing.
According to family sources, Haralu was in Kohima on November 16 for the 50th anniversary celebrations of the Nagaland Peace Centre which was scheduled to be held this morning in the state capital. She is said to have inspected the venue of the event on Monday evening and returned to her home in Kohima at around 7pm, complaining of a slight discomfort. Her condition worsened as the night progressed and she was reportedly rushed to a private clinic at around midnight where she breathed her last. The mortal remains of late Lhusi Haralu were taken to her residence in Full Nagarjan, Dimapur at 4 am this morning for the last rites.
Late Haralu was laid to rest Monday afternoon in the premises of her family home after a poignant funeral programme. She is survived by three sons and five daughters, 21 grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
CM, Nagaland Page condole
Chief Minister TR Zeliang has expressed deep shock and pain at the sudden demise of Mrs Lhusi Haralu early this morning.
In a condolence message to Ms.Bano Haralu, Zeliang said, “The tragic news was made more shocking by the fact that I am scheduled to attend today as chief guest at the Golden Jubilee function of the Nagaland Peace Centre where she was the driving force and has played a crucial role all these years. She has been associated with the Centre for as long as I remember and incidentally, it was just the other month when she and her team met me at my Residential Office at Kohima and discussed about various issues at length including today’s function. She was of the opinion that peace should be ushered in as soon as possible so that the Peace Centre, of which she was the Executive Director, should be made redundant and a relic of history.
Always a gracious lady, she was at the same time, firm in her beliefs for peace and social justice. I remember her telling me when we last met that even though the truth might hurt, Nagas need to sit together and talk the truth, accept the truth and let the truth prevail and that only then would it be possible for the various Naga groups to come together as one family and voice out their common goal to the Government of India and the world.”
“She had met with personal tragedies when her two brothers, Chalie and Tobu Kevichusa, were killed in cold blood in the early 1990s. But she bore the tragedies in her stride. She was also very clear and practical about her feelings. When people asked her to forgive the perpetrators and forget the tragic deeds, she would say, How can one forgive when the perpetrators have not asked for forgiveness? Moreover, one can forgive in the name of Christ, but we must not forget lest we repeat the hurtful and brutal crimes.”
“I was touched when told this morning by her family members that last night, she was going through the programme for today at the Golden Jubilee of the Peace Centre and when she realised that the choral piece Messiah by Hendel was to be sung, she said she must remember to inform all that the audience should stand since it was the tradition after King George II, upon hearing the lyrics of praise heaped on the King of Kings, Lord of All, he stood up and the audience too all stood up. Since then, she is said to have recalled, it is tradition that the audience should stand up and we also must follow that tradition.
It is a cruel irony that she should pass away just hours before the Golden Jubilee function of the Peace Centre of which she was to be a part and for which she had contributed so much.”
The chief minister said, “At this hour of sorrow and bereavement, I on behalf of the people of Nagaland and on my family’s behalf, pray to the Almighty to grant solace to you and all family members. May her soul rest in eternal peace, and may the good works that she had done towards the betterment of the society be remembered for generations to come.”
Nagaland page
The Nagaland Page family is shocked and pained to learn of the sudden demise of Mrs Lhusi Haralu, mother of Bano Haralu, the former Editor of Eastern Mirror, this morning at Kohima.
Late Lhusi Haralu was a prominent woman leader who had rendered her tireless service to the betterment of our society till she breathed her last. Her passing away is a great loss to Naga society as a whole but her spirit will always remain in our hearts.
The Editor and staff of Nagaland Page extend our heartfelt condolences to Bano Haralu and her family members, and pray that the God Almighty gives them strength to overcome their grief. May her soul rest in eternal peace.
Editor & staff
