Nagaland: The Kuki Organization for Human Rights Trust, KOHUR, a body holding UN Special Consultative Status since 2016, has expressed profound grief over the demise of two distinguished sons of Nagaland, Dr Niketu Iralu and Dr Vilethonyii Kesiezie, stating that their passing has left an irreplaceable void far beyond the borders of Nagaland.
In a condolence message dated August 13, 2026, issued by its Department of Information and Publicity from Eureka Cafe Building, Hill Town, Churachandpur, KOHUR said the loss of these two eminent Naga Christian figures is felt not only among the Naga community and the people of Nagaland, but across communities and states of the entire Northeast, a testament to lives lived in service of humanity, compassion and peace.
Paying tribute to Dr Niketu Iralu, KOHUR described him as a scholar and a peace warrior of rare moral standing whose lifelong and selfless dedication to reconciliation, dialogue and non-violence shaped the discourse on peace building across the Northeast for decades. His counsel and moral authority were held in the highest regard among both the Naga and Kuki communities of Manipur.
The peacebuilding world of the Nagas has been shaken by the loss of Iralu, a passionate peacebuilder who impacted the lives of the young and old alike, from his home town of Sechu Zubza in Kohima district to the world. The veteran Naga peacebuilder, thinker and reconciliation advocate passed away in New Delhi on August 18 at the age of 91. According to reports, he had been unwell and was admitted to BLK Hospital in New Delhi and died following a cardiac arrest.
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Affectionately known to many as Uncle Niketu, Iralu dedicated around seven decades to bridging political and ethnic divides and bringing people together. He was a guiding force in the Forum for Naga Reconciliation, FNR, an influential peace building forum. His efforts in personal transformation, non-violence and reconciliation earned him global recognition.
His contributions to peacebuilding and social transformation earned him several national and international recognitions, including the Initiatives of Change Lifetime Achiever Award in 2025, Dr Bhupen Hazarika Integration Award in 2023, Distinguished Senior Citizens Award in 2019 and Rotary Peace Award in 2018. His writings on Naga history and identity continue to influence scholars, activists and church leaders.
Reacting to his passing, Rev Dr Wati Aier, Convenor of FNR, said standing close to the shock of Uncle Niketu Iralu’s passing, he struggles to see clearly through the cloud of grief. Yet even in sorrow, his life emerges as an epic, an extraordinary story authored by God Himself. Dr Aier told The Morung Express that Uncle Niketu’s unwavering commitment to justice and his unvarying support for every cause of human rights marked him as a rare moral personality in present times, and his record as a champion of peace, reconciliation and healing remains unmatched.
Dr Aier also recalled that wherever he stood, his presence carried with it the assurance of godliness, a quiet testimony that inspired confidence and hope. He said his life was not merely lived, but was offered, poured out in service to the people, to truth and to the vision of a reconciled community. In him, the Naga story found a witness who believed that peace was not an abstract ideal but a lived discipline, nurtured through dialogue, humility and courage. A funeral programme was held at the Nagaland State Guest House, Sector 12 RK Puram, Delhi on August 18 at 9:30 pm, before his mortal remains were flown to Nagaland on August 19.
KOHUR said Dr Iralu’s tireless efforts toward genuine and lasting peace between communities earned him deep and abiding respect, and his passing is an immense loss to the cause of peace in the region. The organization affirmed that his legacy will endure not only in the annals of Naga history but in the conscience of all who seek peace and healing in fractured worlds, and his life calls everyone to continue the journey he began.
The organization also mourned the untimely passing of Dr Vilethonyii Kesiezie, founder of Oking Hospital and Research Clinic and one of the pioneers of private healthcare in Nagaland, who was laid to rest in Kohima on Tuesday. He passed away on August 17 at the age of 65.
Dr Kesiezie completed his MBBS and later pursued an MS in Surgery. He began his career in the Nagaland government service before moving into private practice, driven by a vision to make quality healthcare more accessible in the state. He founded Oking Hospital at a time when specialised medical facilities were limited in Nagaland. Under his leadership, the Kohima based institution grew into a major private healthcare centre serving patients from across the state.
His funeral service was held at the Golden Jubilee Hall of the Cathedral, Kohima, and was led by Rev Dr Ruokuovilie Sachu, Pastor of Khedi Baptist Church. Colleagues and well wishers remembered him as a visionary who contributed significantly to the development of healthcare in Nagaland and as a doctor deeply committed to serving ordinary people. His contribution extended beyond hospital based care. In collaboration with churches and medical teams, Dr Kesiezie travelled to remote villages to provide medical treatment to communities with limited access to healthcare.
KOHUR recalled that at the height of the ethnic violence and displacement inflicted upon the Kuki people of Manipur since May 2023, a period which KOHUR and other Kuki civil society bodies have characterised as a state abetted campaign of ethnic cleansing, Dr Kesiezie and Oking Hospital opened their doors to hundreds of displaced and wounded Kuki patients from Manipur, extending medical care at a time when it was scarcely available to them elsewhere.
In a further act of generosity rooted in his Christian faith, Dr Kesiezie and his family waived hospital dues for numerous poor Kuki patients from Manipur, asking nothing in return. KOHUR said this selfless humanitarianism, extended across community lines at a moment of grave peril, will be remembered with deep gratitude by the Kuki people of Manipur for generations to come.
The rights body stated that while one healed the wounds of history through dialogue and the other healed physical wounds through medicine, both reflected the highest Christian values of love and service. It added that the legacy of Dr Kesiezie will live on through Oking Hospital and the many lives touched by his medical and community service.
On behalf of the Kuki people of Manipur, KOHUR extended its heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families of Dr Niketu Iralu and Dr Vilethonyii Kesiezie, and prayed that their departed souls rest in eternal, heavenly peace, and affirmed solidarity with the Naga community in this hour of grief.
