Dimapur: Veteran Nagaland politician and sitting MLA Imkong L. Imchen passed away at a private hospital in Guwahati on Tuesday after a brief illness. He was 75.
Family members said Imchen was admitted to the Naga Hospital Authority in Kohima on Saturday following health complications and was airlifted to Guwahati the next day for advanced treatment.
Despite efforts by doctors, he succumbed on Tuesday morning.
Imchen, one of Nagaland’s most seasoned political leaders, was a five-time legislator from the Koridang constituency.
He was serving as an advisor to the departments of Information & Public Relations and Soil & Water Conservation at the time of his death.
Nagaland Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla led the tributes, describing Imchen as a “dedicated and sincere leader who worked tirelessly for the welfare of the people.”
“On behalf of the people of Nagaland and on my own behalf, I extend my deepest condolences to the bereaved family. May the Almighty grant them strength and comfort in this time of sorrow,” the governor said in a condolence message.
A state funeral will be held in Kohima at 9:30 am on Wednesday, official sources confirmed.
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Imchen began his political journey in 1989 as general secretary of the Mokokchung District Congress Committee and later became working president of the Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee.
He entered the state Assembly in 2003 as an Independent and went on to win four more terms — three under the Naga People’s Front (NPF) banner and his most recent in 2023 as a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate.
Before entering active politics, Imchen had been deeply involved in student and community affairs, serving as general secretary of the Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) from 1983 to 1985 and later as president of Ao Senden, the apex tribal body of the Ao community.
The NSF mourned his passing, remembering him as “a towering figure whose life embodied dedication, visionary leadership, and a steadfast commitment to the welfare of the Naga people.”
