Kohima:The political and social leaders of Nagaland, have condoled the death of first lady Member of Parliament to Lok Sabha Rano Mese Shaiza, who breathed her last in the afternoon nap at her residence in Mission Compound in Kohima.
Late Rano was 86 and is survived by one son and two daughters, two sons predeceased her. Among the prominent leaders of Nagaland, who mourned the death of late Rano M. Shaiza are Nagaland Governor P.B. Acharya, Nagaland Chief Minister T. R. Zeliang, Governor of Odisha Dr. S. C. Jamir, her student Lok Sabha MP Neiphiu Rio, dissident Noke-led Naga People’s Front (NPF), ruling NPF president Dr Shurhozelie Liezietsu and members of the NPF family, Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) chairman Political Affairs Committee and member AICC, K. V. Pusa and many others.
Late Rano Mese Shaiza was born on November 11, 1928 in Phek town to her father Dr. Sevilie Iralu, the third Naga medical doctor and mother Vitulie-ii Iralu, the elder sister of legendary Naga rebel leader late A. Z. Phizo. She was married to Lungshim Shaiza, who was assassinated by the NSCN on the 27th of January, 1990 in Ukhrul town of Manipur, his hometown, where he was scheduled to participate in a meeting prior to the General Elections. Rano was studied at Mission School, Kohima; Welsh Mission Girls School, Shillong, Ridgeway Baptist Girls High School, Golaghat in Assam, completing matriculation at Government High School, Kohima. Joined Cotton College, Guwahati, for Intermediate Science (I. Sc.) and completed from St. Mary’s College in Shillong, under Gauhati University.
She was the first Naga female candidate for I. Sc. under the same University. She had to give up her desire and ambition to pursue medical studies due to the then violent and volatile political situation.
Late Rano was appointed as Headmistress at Phek Government M. E. School and later transferred to Pughoboto Government M. E. School. Joined as Assistant Headmistress, Baptist English School in Kohima and in turn became the Headmistress of the same in 1964-1966, which is one of the foremost schools in Nagaland. In the year 1967, became the founding Principal of the Children’s Christian School at the Mission Road in Kohima. She was th3e member of the Thinker’s Forum, Nagaland and also the Nagaland Bhasha Parishad and Member of the North East Hills University (NEHU).
Member of The Committee on Petitions in the 6th Lok Sabha. She was first Naga Women’s Federation President under the Naga National Council (NNC) and she accompanied Naga-Goodwill Mission to Assam as leader and interpreter, for which she was jailed for 19 months in the early and turbulent 60’s. Founding Member of the Naga Mother’s Association (NMA) on 14th February, 1984 to combat social evils such as alcoholism and drug menace. Late Rano was contested and won the single seat for Nagaland for the 6th Lok Sabha in March, 1977, creating history by becoming the first, and so far the only, Naga lady elected as the MP from Nagaland. It was through her initiative that talks between Prime Minister Morarji Desai and her uncle A. Z. Phizo could materialize. (UNI)
