Rishang Keishing


Rishang Keishing was a senior politician of the Indian National Congress party and a Member of the Parliament of India representing Manipur in the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Indian Parliament. Keishing served as Chief Minister of Manipur from 1980 to 1988 and from 1994 to 1997. He was from Bungpa village, Ukhrul District, Manipur.
He first entered Manipur State's Vidhan Sabha in 1972, winning Phungyar seat, and represented the seat for 30 years, winning the election 7 times. In 2002, he lost in the assembly polls. His son, Victor Keishing, reclaimed the seat a few years later. After his defeat in the state polls in 2002, Rishang Keishing moved to Delhi, representing the state in Rajya Sabha for two terms, 2002 to 2008, and 2008 and 2014. In 2007 he became the country's oldest parliamentarian. He retired from Rajya Sabha in 2014, at the age of 93.
He died on Tuesday, 22 August 2017, aged 96 at Regional Institute of Medical Sciences Hospital, Imphal, Manipur.

Early life and education

He was born to Rungdi Keishing and Mungshingla Keishing, both belonging to the Tangkhul Naga community in Bungpa Khunou, Ukhrul district of Manipur.
After a year at Kolkata's Scottish Church College, he transferred to the St. Paul's Cathedral Mission College, from where he graduated.

Positions held

Participated in the Freedom Struggle; attended meetings, etc. as a student during the period of 1945-47; Member, Socialist Party of India, 1947–64, Indian delegation to Asian Socialist Conference held in Rangoon, January 1953, Indian National Congress since 1964, Indian delegation led by late Shri Yashwantrao Chavan to the 35th General Session of the UN held in U.S. in 1975, Indian delegation to attend the 51st Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference held at Sheraton, Fiji, 2005 and Tenth Finance Commission; Founder Head Master of the first High School in the district at Ukhrul, 1949–52; Founding Member and Honorary Head Master, Phungyar High School, 1959–61; Founding Member, High School, Kamjong, 1969 and High School at Kasom Khullen, 1970; was Chairman, Eastern Border Development Authority and Barak Development Board, 1995–97; helped to set up, Foundation for Management of Tribal Areas in 1998, Fresh Ginger Oil Processing Pilot Project with technology developed by the NIIST, Trivandrum in 1998 and Fruit Processing Unit with technology developed by the CFTRI, Mysore.
In 1952, Keishing was elected to the first Lok Sabha representing the Socialist Party. Through his second term in the Lok Sabha, he informed Nehru that he wanted to join the Indian National Congress and remained with the party until his death.
In August 1972, he spearheaded an agreement between then United Naga Integration Council and the ruling Indian National Congress which recognised the vision of a Greater Nagalim, a region that would integrate Nagaland and the Naga-populated districts of Manipur under one administration.
Keishing served as the Chief Minister of Manipur from 1980 to 1988, and from 1994 to 1997.
In 2014, Keishing declared that he would not contest the Rajya Sabha elections after serving two consecutive terms. He said, "I am not interested to continue now."

Personal life

He married Khatingla Keishing in 1950, and the couple had two daughters and four sons.