Nagaland Govt announces 2-day state mourning for deceased minister C M Chang

Guwahati: Nagaland's Government has declared a two-day state mourning as a mark of respect for the minister for environment, forest & climate change, and justice and law CM Chang who passed away earlier on Monday (October 12) at the Naga Hospital Authority Kohima (NHAK) after a brief illness. He was 78.

As a mark of tribute to the departed leader, the government of Nagaland has announced two days of State mourning which will be observed throughout the state from October 13-14, informed a circular from State (acting) Chief Secretary J Alam to all Deputy Commissioners, Commissioner of Police, Dimapur, as well as District Superintendents of Police.

During this period of state mourning in Nagaland, the Indian National Flag will be flown at half-mast throughout the state where it is regularly flown and there will be no official entertainment, said the circular. The government's notice also informed that a State Funeral will be accorded to the late minister CM Chang.

The veteran politician was born in Noksen Village in Tuensang district on April 1, 1942, Chang was a former Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer who took voluntary retirement in 2002. In the 2009 election, the former bureaucrat was elected to the 15th Lok Sabha from the Nagaland Lok Sabha constituency (the state's lone seat in the Lok Sabha).

Chang was subsequently elected to the Legislative Assembly from Noklek in 2013 and became Nagaland's Minister for Education in the ruling government.

Chang had contested the 2003, 2008, 2013 general elections and 2009 Lok Sabha election on Naga People's Front (NPF) party tickets. The NPF, led by T R Zeliang, is currently the biggest opposition party in all of Nagaland.

CM Chang joined the ruling Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) party in 2018, and won the Assembly election for a second time.

Chang, who used to reside in Dimapur, is survived by his wife Alemla and six sons and five daughters.

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