Rishang Keishing

Rishang Keishing
Rishang Keishing
6th Chief Minister of Manipur
	In office; 14 December 1994 – 15 December 1997
Governor	V. K. Nayar ; Oudh Narayan Shrivastava
Preceded by	Raj Kumar Dorendra Singh
Succeeded by	Wahengbam Nipamacha Singh
	In office; 19 June 1981 – 3 March 1988
Governor	Lallan Prasad Singh; S. M. H. Burney; K. V. Krishna Rao
Preceded by	President's rule
Succeeded by	Raj Kumar Dorendra Singh
	In office; 27 November 1980 – 27 February 1981
Governor	Lallan Prasad Singh
Preceded by	Raj Kumar Dorendra Singh
Succeeded by	Raj Kumar Jaichandra Singh
Personal details
Born	25 October 1920; Imphal, Manipur, British India
Died	22 August 2017 (aged 96); Imphal, Manipur, India
Political party	Indian National Congress
Spouse	Khatingla
Children	6
Alma mater	Scottish Church College,; St. Paul's Cathedral Mission College
Occupation	Politician

Rishang Keishing (25 October 1920 – 22 August 2017) was an Indian politician from Manipur. Keishing served as Chief Minister of Manipur from 1980 to 1988 and from 1994 to 1998. He was a former Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha representing Manipur. He is the first Chief Minister of Manipur to complete his full term from 1981-1988.

Early life and education

Rishang Keishing was born to Rungdi Keishing and Mungshingla Keishing, both from the Tangkhul Naga community in Bungpa Khunou, Ukhrul district of Manipur.^[1]

After a year at Kolkata's Scottish Church College,^[2] he transferred to the St. Paul's Cathedral Mission College, from which he graduated.^[3]

Positions held

1952–1957: Member of 1st Lok Sabha
1957–1961, 1967-1971: Member of Manipur Territorial Council
1962–1967: Member of 3rd Lok Sabha
1972–1974: Member of Manipur Legislative Assembly
1974–1976: Cabinet Minister, Government of Manipur
1976–1980: Opposition Leader, Manipur Legislative Assembly
1980–1985: Chief Minister, Manipur
1985 – Feb. 1988: Chief Minister, Manipur
1994 – March 1995: Chief Minister, Manipur
1995 – Dec. 1998: Chief Minister, Manipur
April 2002: Elected to Rajya Sabha
April 2002 – Feb. 2004: Member, Committee on Food, Civil Supplies and Public Distribution
Jan. 2003 – Feb. 2004: Member, Committee on Commerce
Dec. 2003 onwards: Member, Court of the North Eastern Hill University (NEHU)
Aug. 2004 onwards: Member, Committee on Home Affairs
Oct. 2004 onwards: Member, Consultative Committee for the Ministry of Shipping, Road Transport and Highways
May 2006 – April 2007: Member, Committee on Public Undertakings
April 2008: Re-elected to Rajya Sabha (2nd Term); retired on 21 February 2014 at the age of 94

Political career

Keishing participated in the Freedom Struggle; including attending meetings as a student, during the period of 1945-47. He was a member of the Socialist Party of India, the Indian delegation to the Asian Socialist Conference held in Rangoon (Myanmar), the Indian National Congress, the Indian delegation led by the late Shri Yashwantrao Chavan to the 35th General Session of the UN held in U.S. in 1975, the Indian delegation to attend the 51st Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference held at Sheraton, Fiji, 2005 and Tenth Finance Commission.^{[citation needed]}

He was the founding Head Master of the first high school in the district of Ukhrul, a Founding Member and Honorary Head Master of Phungyar High School, and a founding member of a high school in Kamjong and Kasom Khullen. He served as Chairman to the Eastern Border Development Authority and Barak Development Board; and helped to set up the Foundation for Management of Tribal Areas (MATA) in 1998, the Fresh Ginger Oil Processing Pilot Project with technology developed by the NIIST, Trivandrum in 1998 and the Fruit Processing Unit with technology developed by the CFTRI, Mysore.^[4]

In 1952, Keishing was elected to the first Lok Sabha representing the Socialist Party.^[5] During his second term in the Lok Sabha, he informed Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru that he wanted to join the Indian National Congress and remained with the party until his death.^[6]

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.^{[citation needed]}

Keishing, along with D. Athuido, a former Member of the Legislative Assembly, was expelled from the Manipur Congress for six years in May 1968 for signing a memorandum to the Prime Minister of India which suggested that the Naga-inhabited areas of Manipur should be merged with Nagaland.^[7] 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.^[5]

Keishing also served as the Chief Minister of Manipur from 1980 to 1988, and from 1994 to 1997.^[8]

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."^[9]

Personal life

He married Khatingla Keishing in 1950, and the couple had two daughters and four sons. He died on 22 August 2017, aged 96 at Regional Institute of Medical Sciences Hospital, Imphal, Manipur.^[10]

References

^ "Detailed Profile: Shri Rishang Keishing". www.archive.india.gov.in. NIC. Retrieved 31 January 2017.
^ "Scottish Church College, Calcutta alumni". www.histropedia.com. Histropedia. Retrieved 31 January 2017.
^ "A short bio about whoever hogs the limelight in a week". The Hindu. 14 March 2014. Retrieved 31 January 2017.
^ "Rishang turns to 'green' power at 95". Eastern Mirror. 4 February 2014. Retrieved 31 January 2017.
^ ^a ^b Deka, Kaustubh (30 August 2017). "Rishang Keishing (1920-2017): Understanding the legacy of Manipur's longest serving chief minister". Scroll.in. Scroll.in. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
^ Gupta Kashyap, Samudra (29 August 2017). "Importance of Rishang Keishing — to Manipur and Northeast". The Indian Express. The Indian Express. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
^ "Mr. Rishang Keishing". Times of India. 20 May 1968. p. 12. Retrieved 21 December 2021.
^ "Former Manipur CM Rishang Keishing dead". The Hindu. PTI. 23 August 2017. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
^ "Keishing not a contender for RS". The Morung Express. 24 January 2012. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
^ "Former Manipur Chief Minister Died". Northeast Herald. 22 August 2017.

External links

[1] "Detailed Profile: Shri Rishang Keishing". www.archive.india.gov.in. NIC. Retrieved 31 January 2017.

[2] "Scottish Church College, Calcutta alumni". www.histropedia.com. Histropedia. Retrieved 31 January 2017.

[3] "A short bio about whoever hogs the limelight in a week". The Hindu. 14 March 2014. Retrieved 31 January 2017.

[4] "Rishang turns to 'green' power at 95". Eastern Mirror. 4 February 2014. Retrieved 31 January 2017.

[auto-5] Deka, Kaustubh (30 August 2017). "Rishang Keishing (1920-2017): Understanding the legacy of Manipur's longest serving chief minister". Scroll.in. Scroll.in. Retrieved 17 July 2020.

[6] Gupta Kashyap, Samudra (29 August 2017). "Importance of Rishang Keishing — to Manipur and Northeast". The Indian Express. The Indian Express. Retrieved 17 July 2020.

[7] "Mr. Rishang Keishing". Times of India. 20 May 1968. p. 12. Retrieved 21 December 2021.

[8] "Former Manipur CM Rishang Keishing dead". The Hindu. PTI. 23 August 2017. Retrieved 17 July 2020.

[9] "Keishing not a contender for RS". The Morung Express. 24 January 2012. Retrieved 17 July 2020.

[10] "Former Manipur Chief Minister Died". Northeast Herald. 22 August 2017.

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