Dr Temsula Ao, former chairperson of the Nagaland State Commission for Women, academician, renowned writer, and Padma Shri, died on Sunday night at a private hospital in Dimapur. She was 80 years old.
Following her death, Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tribute to the Naga literary luminary on the microblogging site Twitter.
“Saddened by the passing away of Dr Temsüla Ao, who played a pivotal role in popularising the wonderful Naga culture through her literary works. Her efforts in the fields of education and culture were noteworthy. Condolences to her family and friends. May her soul rest in peace,” the Prime Minister tweeted on Monday morning.
Dr. Temsula Ao, a leading literary voice in the northeast, received the Padma Shri award in 2007.
Among other honours, she received the Nagaland Governor’s Award for Distinction in Literature, the Meghalaya Governor’s Gold Medal, and the Sahitya Akademi Award.
She spent nearly half of her life as a professor at North Eastern Hill University (NEHU).
She retired in 2010 as professor of English and dean of NEHU’s School of Humanities and Education.
Her literary works are said to have been translated into German, French, Hindi, Assamese, and Bengali.