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DIMAPUR: India lost its Paddy Man Melhite Kenye known across the world for the discovery of the tallest paddy plant in 1988, on Tuesday 22 February.
Centenarian Melhite Kenye from the northeastern state of Nagaland has made it to the Guinness world record for his epic finding of the tallest rice plant in the world.
The Paddy Man took his last breath on Tuesday late hours and passed away at the age of 100 in Chumoukedina.
The renowned personality from Nagaland also celebrated his 100th birthday a few days ago on 6th January 2022.
In the month of October 1988, Kenya had discovered a paddy plant which was measured 2.55 metre tall grown in the Chumukedi region located in Nagaland.
Nagaland chief minister Neiphiu Rio offers heartfelt condolences over the demise of such a distinguished personality from the state.
Rio further stated that the death of Kenye is a big loss for the Chakhesang community in particular and the Naga people in general.
In 1988 Kenye went on a Jungle trekking and saw the strange rice plant which he doubted to be a real rice plant but later he fenced it to protect from wild animals. He also harvested the plant and the first plant grown by him had reached 2.49 m height.
In 2002, Kenye was also honoured with the Governor's Gold Medal for his astonishing and unique discovery of the tallest rice plant in the jungles of Nagaland.
Nagaland's Paddy Man, Melhite Kenye was born in 1922 in Chizami village located in the Phek district of Nagaland. He was regarded as one of the initial Christian converts from the Chizami village who married another early Christian converts woman namely Kewetso-u-Lasuh.
The chief minister of the state informed that Kenye later moved to Dimapur and joined as pastor in Chakhesang Baptist Church located in Dimapur, But then he started working as a pastor of Town Baptist Church in Chumoukedina where he continued to work for over 4 decades.
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