Gekhotso (Gebu) Haralu Poireng hailing from Poilwa village, the eldest son of Late Lhusi and Thepfoorya Haralu was born on 21st Dec’ 1957. He had his schooling at St. Edmunds College, Shillong in 1974 and graduated from St. Stephen’s College New Delhi in 1979, was one of the first Masters Degree holder from Poilwa village.
Though we loved him, the Lord loved him more and called him to his heavenly abode on 23rd July 2018. His untimely demise has created a great vacuum to the villagers of Poilwa and the Zeliangrong community.
Gebu was one of my most admired friends, a loving elder brother. He was a man of integrity, straight forwardness, far-sighted, honest and dedicated public worker and a school teacher. God in his wisdom designated the most loving and pious lady Bokali Haralu D/o, Lt. Thiliho Zhimomi of Kivikhu village to be his wife. I thank God for this beautiful sister, their loving parents, great brothers and sisters who not only loved and cared for Gebu but the entire members of their family still remain to be a source of great blessing to our people.
Though Gebu is no more with us, it is our prayer that our loving sister Bokali Haralu will continue to inspire us as she had being to us particularly for the Poilwa Prayer fellowship Dimapur.
Gebu whom I love and admire was the architect behind the success of the historic 19th general Conference of the All Zeliangrong Students’ Union (Assam, Manipur & Nagaland) (AZSU ) in 1992, hosted by the Poilwa Student’s Union (PSU) when I was the Vice-President of AZSU. The PSU had decided to publish a Souvenir in commemoration of the AZSU historic conference and Gebu had toiled and labored, spending many sleepless nights for this priceless public service to come out with a wonderful Souvenir Book for the success of this event.
Gebu loved his students, taught and served the Christian Higher Secondary School Dimapur in his various capacities. I once approached him a job for a needing sister of my family. To my great surprise Gebu as Vice- Principal of CHSC took no time to give her a good job and today she is having a bright future working happily for the school. Though he is no more with us I cannot forget my association with this loving family whom I am greatly indebted.
At a time, when myself too was in need of a job for my studies in the 1980’s, our late mother Lhusi Haralu gave me a good job through uncle R. Kevichüsi when he was a Joint Director in Agriculture Deptt. Thejangulie (Kamba) Haralu Retd. Addl. Director, Women Development Deptt. younger brother of Gebu was a source of inspiration to my life, Koko Haralu was a true brother, Bano Haralu a loving sister and Kevileno Sakhrie was my lecturer and the like all of them were wonderful family members to me from my schooling till today.
Last but not the least, Gebu did what he can do for the Poilwa people, for the Zeliangrong community and for the CHSS school he loved and taught rendering his best that was humanly possible in various capacities. In his spiritual journey also “he had fought for the good fight, he had finished the course, he had kept the faith II Timothy 4:7”. He stood tall, as the most humble human being amongst my contemporary friends.
In our remaining journey of life we will continue to remember him drawing inspiration from his life and good deeds he had left behind and for what he had been to us and to our people.
Nswahingbe, Poilwa village
