Litterateur Padma Shri Dr Temsula Ao Breathes her Last in Dimapur

KOHIMA: Padma Shri Dr Temsula Ao was born on October 25, 1945, in Jorhat, Assam. She did her matriculation at Ridgeway Girls' High School in Golaghat. She received her B.A. degree with Distinction from the Fazl Ali College at Mokokchung in Nagaland. Her M.A. in English was from Gauhati University in Assam. She received her Post Graduate Diploma in the Teaching of English from the English and Foreign Languages University in Hyderabad. And finally, she completed her PhD at North Eastern Hill University.

She was a noted poet, author and ethnographer. She joined the North Eastern Hill University located in Shillong as a Lecturer in the Department of English, and retired as a professor from the same department as a Professor in the year 2010. Alongside she was the Dean of the School of Humanities and Education at the same university. Within that period, she was the Director of the North East Zone Cultural Center in Dimapur from 1992 to 1997. She was on deputation from NEHU during this period.

She was an eminent figure in her field in the Northeastern state and won many laurels. Some of the noteworthy are Padma Shri in 2007 for her work in the fields of education and literature. Her short story collection, entitled Laburnum for My Head won the Sahitya Akademi Award for her in 2013. She also received the Nagaland Governor's Award for Distinction in Literature and the Meghalaya Governor's Gold Medal for her tireless work.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid his condolences to Padma Shri Dr. Temsula Ao on Monday. "Saddened by the passing away of Dr Temsüla Ao, who played a pivotal role in popularising the wonderful Naga culture through her literary works. Her efforts in the fields of education and culture were noteworthy. Condolences to her family and friends. May her soul rest in peace," the Prime Minister tweeted.

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