Ch Priscilla Thiumai
Newmai News Network
Imphal | March 7
Meet Ch Priscilla Thiumai, who holds the baton of the Naga Women's Union (NWU), Manipur, as the President. Resolute and determined, the 48 year-old activist has come a long way.
Born in Makhan village and presently staying in Kanglatongbi, Priscilla has a Master’s degree in Sociology, Post Graduate in Public Relations and also B Ed. She was President of the Liangmai Pui Naga Ruangdi, Manipur (2017-2023), President of the Women Union Namdilong, Kanglatongbi (2011-2017) and a board member of Jan Shikdhan Sansthan under CHAMS (2012–2019). Before all these, she was a teacher and also worked in an NGO in Dimapur, Nagaland.
Most of her works have revolved around defending human rights. Some years ago, during an agitation in connection with the rape of a girl, a protestor was fatally wounded in police firing. Priscilla took up his case in court, her bold action ensuring justice to the victim’s family. She won the case and the victim's brother was given a government job.
Priscilla also took up a rape and attempt to murder case some years ago. In this case, too, justice was ensured to the victim. In another instance, she filed a case against a reputed private hospital in Manipur after the hospital “disabled a normal girl child” during the course of medical treatments. The victim got justice.
A mother of two children, a 12 year-old girl and a 9-year-old boy, she exudes warmth, simplicity and humility with a flair for clear and emotive writing. She has to her credit a published book titled— ‘Mother and Child Care,’ which was published by Tribal Research Institute, Government of Manipur. She is seldom idle, frequently getting called on as a resource person, as a panelist on TV, writing articles for newspapers, organising meetings and other social activities.
One of her strongest traits is her resolve, a characteristic that has her unaffected by the connections and influences of the powers that be. Admired for her unrelenting temperament, she is not prone to talking about herself. “I don’t want to talk about myself. It is really not comfortable at all that I’m talking about myself,” she said.
But when it comes to truth and justice, she said, "We are a minuscule voice in asea of chaos. But we do not get disheartened that easily in spite of intimidations and threats from various quarters.” On the home front, she finds support in her husband. “He is a wonderful person who knows the needs of the children and takes care of the chores,” she told Newmai News Network. “My husband is supportive of my activism”, she added.
