Father of Nagaland Health minister passes away at 99; Chief Minister mourns

Dimapur, July 16 (EMN): Sochet Sosoly, father of minister for Health and Family Welfare, S Pangnyu Phom passed away on Friday. He was 99.

Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio expressed his grief over the demise of the nonagenarian, who was born on July 22, 1922. Informing that the deceased was just 10 days short of his 100th birth anniversary and becoming a centenarian, Rio said God’s ways are  mysterious “and we shall never fully understand”.

“While we mourn his death, let us also thank God for giving Sochet Sosoly a long and successful life, and for blessing him with illustrious children and grand children. Sochet Sosoly was amongst the first batch of converts to Christianity from his native village Yachem, and he also became the first Pastor of Yachem Baptist Church.

“His death is a great loss for the Phom community. However, the Phom community should praise God for giving them a good Christian leader at the crucial time, when Christianity was beginning to make inroads amongst the Phom community. His pioneering and faithful service for the Lord will continue to inspire believers for a long time to come,” read the condolence message.

“I convey my heartfelt condolence to the members of the bereaved family, as well as to the Phom community. May his soul rest in peace,” it added.