Photo Courtesy: nagalandpost
Kohima: Vilanuo Angela Yhome, the influential president of the Naga Mothers' Association, died at her home on July 31. She was 67. Thousands of mourners gathered on August 1 at Christ the King Church in Kohima Village to pay their final respects. Bishop of Kohima, Most Rev. Dr. James Thoppil, led the Requiem Mass. She was later buried at her residence on Billy Graham Road.
Yhome served as a cornerstone for social justice and peace-building. She held numerous leadership roles, including advisor to the Nagaland Catholic Women Association, board member for the Council of Catholic Women of India and the Cradle Ridge Centre, and general secretary of the Tenyimi Women Union. She also served on the Bible Review Committee and the Naga Mothers' Peace Committee. Notably, she was the first woman to serve as secretary and joint secretary of the Lhisema Council in Kohima Village.
The Global Naga Forum credits Yhome with the historic push for a 33 percent reservation for women in Nagaland’s urban local bodies. Her childhood friend and NMA advisor, Rosemary Dzüvichü, remembered her influence. “Angela was more than a mother -a sister to many, a mother and father to all her nieces and nephews,” Dzüvichü said. She also noted that Yhome often faced harassment and threats for her activism but consistently chose forgiveness.
Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio led the tributes, calling her a distinguished daughter of Nagaland and an inspiring leader. Her nephew, Kelhouneizo Andrew Yhome, said she acted as a parent to many, nurturing over a thousand children throughout her life. Messages of grief arrived from across the region, including condolences from Deputy Chief Minister Y. Patton, Assembly Speaker Sharingain Longkumer, and Manipur Deputy Chief Minister Losii Dikho.
Groups including the Naga Hoho, the Naga People's Organisation, the Linguistic Minority Forum of Nagaland, the Zeliangrong Youth Front, and the Zeliangrong Mipui Organisation echoed these sentiments. Th. Muivah, general secretary of the NSCN (IM), also honored her memory, labeling her an iconic leader. Yhome leaves behind a legacy of public service and reconciliation that spans decades of Naga history.
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