SHILLONG: Sben Majaw, a 97-year-old organic farmer, passed away at her residence in Lawsohtun at 8.30pm on Thursday.
Majaw, who will be remembered for her contribution to organic farming, was suffering from cold and fever for the last one week. Her family members said she did not go to the field because of her ailing health but she refused to go to a hospital. She stopped eating and was on liquid diet before her death.
Majaw will be buried in the Lawsohtun cemetery on Saturday. Though she was a believer of Seng Khasi, Majaw never wanted to be cremated, her children said.
Majaw was a hard worker and toiled in the field even at an old age. She tended her field alone and never complained of any ailment. She was also known in the neighbourhood as a jovial person.
In an earlier interview with Sunday Shillong, Majaw had said when asked about her vibrant health, “I cannot sit idle. Whenever I go to the field I feel liberated and calm… I work hard, eat my home-grown vegetables and sleep well.”
As an organic farmer and member of the Lawsohtun farmers’ body, Majaw always advocated for a separate market for organic farmers because she believed that organic produce does not get the right price in the market.
