DIMAPUR, March 31 - Two general secretaries of the Naga People�s Front (NPF), Chikroveyi Venyo and PB Hangyu Konyak, passed away within a span of 12 hours. While Venyo breathed his last at 11.30 pm at a private hospital in Dimapur, Konyak died at Sonari in Assam while on his way to Mon early on Saturday morning.
NPF president Dr Shurhozelie Liezietsu and the rank and file of the party have expressed deep grief at the death of the two party leaders.
In a condolence message, the NPF Central Headquarters described Venyo, fondly called CV by his friends, as a born leader who had shown astute leadership qualities since his college days. He rose to prominence and caught the attention of political circles in the region during his tenure as the president of the Naga Students� Federation during 1987-89, it said.
The NPF said Konyak�s contributions to the party were most remarkable and pronounced when he made the supreme sacrifice of renouncing membership of his erstwhile national political party and supported the NPF candidate in 2003 in the Aboi Assembly constituency when the party had an uphill task of taking on the might of the then ruling Congress party in the State. Their deaths have come as a huge blow to the party, it said.
The party extended its condolences to the bereaved family members of both the leaders.
