To
Pu H. Thanglawra on his 8th Death Anniversary.
13th May 2020.
From :
N Lhungdim
Thangting House,
Molnom West.
PU H. THANGLAWRA
The down to earth pioneer educationist
MEMORIAL TRIBUTE
1. BIRTH & PARENTAGE:
7 must be a lucky number in the small family of (L) Pu Saihenthang and (L) Pi Lianzing both of Lungtau- Nungate clan who had begotten 8 sons. And the seventh was Pu Thanglawra, next to the last of the youngest of the children of Pu Saihenthang and his wife. Thus a child was born, a son was given and the leadership of the community shall be on his shoulder in in the field of education. It was in the early morning of the first week of January 1921 only a few years after the closure of the first world war of 1914-1918 that Pu Thanglawra was born at Parbung village which at that time was already a fairly big village consisting of about 200 houses. Thus the birth of Pu Thanglawra was more important than all the births of the other seven sons in the family of (L) Pu Saihenthang and his wife as he destined to become a highly motivated educationist of the remote hill areas of the family in particular and a pioneer educationist of the remote hill areas of the District. He is the only surviving member of the family as well other members had predeceased him earlier.
2. HABITATION & SETTLEMENT:
Pu Thanglawra’s family had settled in Parbung for more than three generations. Parbung village had been founded by the Singsons and the chief of Parbung at that time was (L) Pu Suongjathang
Singson and the neighbouring village of Taithu, was also under the chieftainship of the kindman of Parbung chief. Unfortunately there is no one visible in public who were the descendants of Parbung chief. Pu Thanglawra was not only born in Parbung but had been brought up there and had spent the best part of his childhood and youth in Parbung village.
3. EDUCATION:
Pu Lawra had his early education at Parbung where he first attended his lower primary classes at the school run by the NEIG Mission at the age of 11 years though nowadays parents are sending their children to school at age 2 ½ qualification. There he had studied from class I to class III. The year of his first enrolment was in 1931. After the course at Parbung Pu Lawra had shifted to NEIG Mission school at Old Churachandpur Mission Compound where he completed his classes from IV to class VI under the Headmastership of (L) Pu Vungthawn. His other teachers were (L) Pu Thangkhogin, (L) Pu Chinlang, (L) Pu Rev H.L. Sela. (L) Rev Siamkung was one of his classmates.
Thereafter he went to Imphal for his high school studies by joining Churachand High School. His Headmaster at that time was one Ghosh. There he completed his studies from class VII to class X and finally passed his Matriculation examination in 1946 under the Calcutta University in 3rd Division. It was during high school days that Imphal was bombed by the Japanese on 10 & 16 May 1942 and he was somewhere in Thangmeiband at that time.
It was in the early part of 1946 that D.M College had just started and as it was in the initial stage there was no proper arrangement for teaching Alternative English the paper Pu Lawra was supposed to offer in lieu of Manipur vernacular. There though he had already got himself admitted in the Intermediate of Arts class his admissions fee amounting to Rs 65/- was refunded and he had left for Gauhati his I.A. and B.A, from 1946 to 1950.
In the Examination he had passed in the First Division and in his B.A he had been a student of Philosophy Honors which he did not get.
4. MARRIAGE AND OFFSPRINGS:
Might have been enthralled and charmed by the beauty of Pi Sangneihnem considered to be the most beautiful girl of Tipaimukh area at that time Pu Lawra had married early after he had appeared his Matriculation Examination at the age of 25 just before the Matric result was out. Pi Hnemi belongs to the Khawbung clan and they had as many as 8 children 3 daughters and 5 sons of these 3 had predeceased them and the other 5 are still living at different places with their families. His children are Pi Thangthieng who married Pu Lalchawnglur who is a Govt. employee in the Fishery department Pu H. Thangsang a Rtd Govt. Teacher married Pi JL Sawmi, who is President. Hmar Women Association (Gen. Hqrs). Pu Lalbieklien, Pu Jawlsiemlien and Pu John David are no more. Pi Helen Lalzuithang, Pu John Lalhlenglien who is working as Assistant in Mizoram Govt. and Pi Lily Lalthanmawi are in Mizoram and settled there.
5. CAREER& PROFESSION:
First inning in education After Pu Lawra had passed his B.A in the following year 1951 in February he had started the Pherzawl High School, the first High School in the hills of the District with a bare 30 students. During that time B.A were far and few between which could be counted on the fingers Instead of going for the cushy government jobs he had knowingly chosen the different path. The reason was Pu Thanglawra had a clear vision that education was the only route to salvation of the Hmar people in particular and the hill people in general from illiteracy, ignorance and suffering. The newly established school needed recognition and as prelude to that (L) K. Goura Singh, Inspector came to inspector came to inspect the school and as a result Pherzawl High School had been granted recognition by the Board of Secondary Education, Assam SEBA in short. And the school could send 15 candidates to appear in the Matriculation Examination for the first time in 1954 them are Pu L. Keivom IFS (Retd) and (L) Pu L. Th Pudaite, IFS (Retd) who later on become Ambasadoor of India to different countries. Pu R. Thangliana, Mizoram politician Pu HC Hrangte, IOFS (Retd) Rev. Rothanglien Hmar, Pu Sengluai and Pu Pahlira etc.
However, Pu Thanlawra left the school under the Headmastership of (L) Pu Lalro Tolour, BA Assisted by (L) Pu Rothang Sakum.
6. BRIEF GOVERNMENT SERVICE:
Pu Thanglawra had to leave the school and joined service in the Government of Manipur as Block Development Officer because he was called by Shri U.N Sarma, the Development Commissioner to be a BDO which he had joined in 1957 and was posted in Jiribam, Manipur.
7. SECOND INNING IN EDUCATION:
On the invitation of Pu Rochung Pudaite who headed the Indo Burma Pioneer mission at that time Pu Thanglawra had been sent to U.S.A for his Post Graduate degrees in Education for which he had joined Northern Illinois University. Illinois State and obtained his M.A. in Education in 1st class
Pu Lawra returned to Manipur in 1963-64 and joined Sielmat Christian High School as Headmaster which he had served for the next 3 years from 1963-1965. He left Sielmat Ch. High School on account of unspecified reason.
Meanwhile after leaving Sielmat High School Pu Lawra had extended his helping hands in the establishment of Vimala Raina Girls’ High School. Pant Standard High School which later on become the prestigious Rengkai Govt. Higher Secondary, Adimjati High School, Imphal on the invitation of (L) T. Kipgen and (L) A Daiho, Union High School, Hmarkhawlien, Lakhipur in various capacities lending his skills and expertises in the field of education. Again, it was in the year 1971 that he was invited to join the Kha Manipur College, Kakching as the College Authority did not have the qualified person to head the college to be Principal and he had served there as Principle for 3 years from 1971-1973.
However in 1974 on the invitation of his friend (L) Th. Nilamani Singh, the founder Principal of Imphal College he had joined and worked there for some time.
8. MIZORAM MISSION:
Mizoram became a Union Territory upgraded from a District of Assam and badly needed a Teacher’s Training College to train up its growing teachers as they had to send their teachers to get their B.T degrees in Assam. Mizoram administration had invited Pu Lawra to come and establish Post Graduate Teachers Training College in 1975. There he went an founded Mizoram Institute of Education and had served there as Principal from 1975-1986. Meanwhile he also went to Lawnghlai as Principal to start Lawngtlai College.
With the Mizo Peace Accord between tha MNF and the Government of India in 1986 Mizoram had attained statehood and Mizoram Board of School Education was established and Pu Thanglawra was appointed President of Mizoram Board from 1992- 1994. In 1995 for a year he was also Principal of Lalhmingthanga College, Durhlang
Meanwhile Pu Lawra had worked as visiting Lecture and Reader of North Eastern Hill University in the Education Department in the Mizoram campus, Aizawl. After his retirement from service Pu Lawra had also worked as Co-Ordinator of the National Open Schooling NIOS, Mizoram upto 2009.
9. LITERARY ACHIEVEMEN:
1. PuThanglawra had obtained his Bachelor of Teaching (B.T) degree from Shantiniketan, Vishwabharati University, West Bengal in 1954 in 2nd class.
2. Pu Thanglawra had written a number of books to help the students which are
1. Mathematics Secrets, 1953.
2. Pherzawl Reader I, II
3. English Grammar in Hmar.
4. Geography for Class X in English
5. A Text Book on Education for Pre University students.
6. Principles of Education
7. Educational Psychology
8. History of Education
3. Pu Thanglawra was also the National Awardee in 1964-1965 for his Essay on the Subject TEACHING OF BACKWARD STUDENTS WITH A CASH PRIZE OF Rs. 500/- and a certificate
Dr. Thanglung had started School at Lungthulien in 1944-45 and it is said that Dr. Thanglung and Pu Thanglawra had been responsible for revolutionizing education in the Hmar areas.
A little known facts was that Pu Thanglawra in pursuit of education and carrer had been unstintingly supported by his family uncles who rendered all financial needs as they had large Orange plantation in and around Parbung village which fetched very good income at that time.
Pu Thanglawra even when he 93 years when I met him at Rengkai Village , his intellect, intact, his memory photographic and had achieved many which are really worthy and remarkable for a person to achieve in a single life.
We are very fortunate and proud of him that we are still meeting and learning many things from him. He is the only down to earth pioneer educationist alive in our midst. He was a living library.
10. A TRIBUTE:
I live like to pay my glowing living tribute to Pu Thanglawra, the only living down to earth educationist who had brought educationist to the doorsteps of the Hmar Community in particular and Churachandpur District including Mizoram in General
I wish him a very very long life and happiness in the years to come.
However since his age has catched he had to leave his mortal life one day leaving all of us with grief and pain.
Pu H. Thanglawra had passed away on 13.05.2013 at Aizawl.
And he was buried in Aizawl
MAY HIS SOUL REST IN ETERNAL PEACE
