“We are saddened at the untimely death of Dr. Kyrham Nongkynrih, our friend and also the Vice Chairman of our partners, NESFAS in North East India. We offer our deepest sympathies and condolences to his family members. We will always remember Bah Kyrham for his love of our young people, our Mother Earth and for living his motto: “it is in giving that you receive..”, Said Phrang Roy, Coordinator, TIP.
Dr. A K Nongkynrih passed away at Bethany Hospital Shillong, Meghalaya after his continuing battle with illness. HE was a founding member of NESFAS, played a big role in advocating the works and beliefs of the organisation. He was very instrumental and contributed immensely with his great intellect and vision to the cause of preserving traditional knowledge and the indigenous food systems.
He dedicated himself to building bridges to a better future and in this way, he touched the lives of all of us and especially the community members in the rural areas. He strongly believed that traditional farming is one of the many ways that we can preserve our traditional knowledge in this region. One of his aims was to defend the local food systems in his home state and region of India.
Dr.Nongkynrih, also a noted sociologist, played an active role during the Indigenous Terra Madre hosted by TIP and NESFAS in 2015 in Mawphlang, East Khasi Hills as a speaker and a panelist. He was also a founding member of the Indigenous People Assistance Facility Grant Committee 2006, UN-IFAD.
Today we mourn the passing of a great man, a son who has left behind a powerful legacy of humility, simplicity, and dedication to all the things that he greatly believed in. At the Partnership we will forever be grateful that we have had the opportunity to work closely with such a legendary man and promise to uplift his words of wisdom at all times.