In this file photo, President Ram Noth Kovind is seen presenting Padma Shri to M Piyongtemjen Jamir in the field of Literature & Education on March 20, 2018. (File Photo: @rashtrapatibhvn/Twitter)
Governor Ravi leads State in paying tributes
Morung Express News
Dimapur | June 13
Noted Hindi scholar and Padma Shree Piyong Temjen Jamir died after a prolong illness at his residence in Dimapur on June 12 evening.
The octogenarian Hindi scholar and Litterateur is survived by survived by wife, four sons, two daughters and grandchildren.
A native of Longsa village under Mokokchung district, he was conferred the Padma Shri in the field of Literature & Education on March 20, 2018 and received the award from President Ram Nath Kovind.
“A Hindi scholar and teacher in Nagaland, he has taught over 4,000 students — 1,000 of whom are Hindi teachers today,” read a citation related to the award.
Among others, he was conferred the award for in the popularisation of Hindi in Nagaland. Speaking at a function organised in his honour after the award, Late Jamir had expressed hoped that, “Hindi will serve as a linking-language to the tribes of Nagaland and will help unite the Nagas.”
He was also conferred several state and national level award during his lifetime, including a Gangashanan Singh Awards for outstanding works in Hindi Literature in 2006.
A profile of Late Jamir by indianexpress.com after the Padma awards informed that his tryst with Hindi began in 1963 when he left his native place to learn the language at Wardha, Maharashtra after attending a regular school till class VI in his village.
After completing the course in Hindi, he stayed back for two more years to acquire more knowledge of the language and got a teacher’s post in Tuensang upon returning. Later, he left for Agra in 1973 to acquire B. Ed degree and worked as an instructor in the Central Hindi Training College, originally established as a branch of the Wardha Institute in 1962 in Dimapur as Rashtra Bhasha Vidyalaya.
In 1988, he shifted location to Padampukhuri, Dimapur and renamed it to Rashtra Bhasha Hindi Training Institute, after Wardha Institute withdrew its sponsorship of its branch in order “revive the college,” the profile then said.
The institute is the Nagaland based branch of Rashtra Bhasha Prachaar Samiti Wardha, where he served as the principal. Since then, thousands of students have passed out from the institute, many of whom are Hindi teachers at present.
Governor, other offer condolences
The Governor of Nagaland RN Ravi, meanwhile, led the State paying tributes and condolences to the late Jamir on Sunday.
Expressing sadness over the demise, Ravi said in a condolence message said that late Jamir did an “outstanding contributions in popularising Hindi in Nagaland” and the country has lost a noted Litterateur and a great thinker.
He also helped Naga folklores and literatures reaching rest of the country through Hindi and will go down in history for his contributions to the field of literature and a humanist intellectual who believed in universal brotherhood of mankind, the Governor noted.
“I on behalf of the people of Nagaland and on my own behalf, convey our heartfelt condolences. I also pray to God to give strength to the family to bear this tragic loss and grant them peace and solace at this hour of pain,” he added.
“May his soul rest in eternal peace,” added Ravi in the message addressed to Pangertula Longkumer, the wife of late Jamir.
Minister of Higher Education & Tribal Affairs, Nagaland, Temjen Imna Along also took to Twitter to offer his condolences and expressed his sadness over the demise.
Late Jamir was a noted Hindi scholar and littérateur from Nagaland and his contributions to the State will always be remembered. My condolences to the bereaved family, the Minister added.
Nagaland Advisor For Tourism, Art and Culture H Khehovi termed Late Jamir a “remarkable Hindi scholar” and condoled his demise.
“The demise of a remarkable Hindi scholar and littérateur like him is a huge loss for the Naga Society,” he tweeted.
