Oldest Nagaland Native Pupirei Pfukha Passes Away At 121

KOHIMA: 121-year-old Pupirei Pfukha of Nagaland, for whose blessings a lot of tourists used to travel to the nearby town of Kigwema near the capital Kohima, passed away on Wednesday night.

Pfukha voted by mail in the Nagaland assembly elections last month, and according to her voter card, election officials verified that she was 121 years old.

Several residents suggested a DNA test can establish her true age, which may be even higher, as she was laid to rest on Thursday afternoon, following the attendance of all major organizations in the area.

Her death shocked her great-granddaughter Arheno, as she was regarded as the village's granny and the community had perhaps around 6,000 residents who didn't witness her receiving any medical care in a hospital until after she passed away.

"There was no major disease that she had. Everyone was shocked when she passed away," Arheno remarked.

Pfukha was present during World War II, when the Japanese invaders turned Kigwema village into a camp. She took the best care of the kids and moved temporarily to another hamlet to protect the family from any potential conflict.

She is credited with creating an educational environment in the community because her eldest son was the first to enroll at and graduate from Kigwema.

"Even after crossing 100 years, she could describe her early days and the trauma of losing villages in the dreadful Spanish Flu pandemic that devastated then-Assam in 1918 and parts of present-day Nagaland," said her neighbor Neisato Neihu, who works for Infosys.

“She could no longer see well after turning 100, but she could still recognize the family and neighbors by their voices. Five years later, she lost her hearing but could still recognise us by touching our hands", Neisato continued.

Her husband who was from the same village, passed away before her in 1969. 19 grandchildren, 63 great-grandchildren, and 15 great-great-grandchildren remain to carry on her legacy.

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