Dr Seiboi Singsit : IFS. MT:77
Top local achiever in Forest Dept and a big donor

Lunminthang Haokip *

THE UNSEEN HAND: Pu Seiboi Singsit needs no introduction in the State of Manipur. His name has been synonymous with Forest Department till his retirement in 2011 when he was shifted to MPSC as the Chairman for a brief period of time.

It's noteworthy to remember that God never forgot the children of those early Christians in the hills of Manipur who suffered for or rendered sacrificial services for the the sake of the Gospel when Christianity was not welcomed with `open arms and Psalms.'

I believe that Pu Singsit too was blessed by the humble labours of his father in the Lord's vineyard. Whether Gen-now acknowledges it or not, the Almighty God kept the faithful among Gen-last above the rest.

It's in the fitness of things to remember Deuteronomy 28:13, "And the LORD shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath, if that thou hearken unto the commandments of the LORD thy God, which I command thee this day, to observe and do them."

THE SON OF AN EARLY EVANGELIST: Pu Seiboi is the son of Pu Late Lalkhopao Singsit and Pi Late Jamhoi Singsit. Pu Lalkhopao was a committed Evangelist deployed by the Baptist Missionaries in the Pre-Indepence era in Ayapurel area of Manipur (now in Tengnoupal district). The worker with a mission to evangelise residents of his port of call, happened to be among the few educated Eimis in those days.

So, he doubled up his soul-winning job with teaching in the village school. It was at Sita village, 18 Kms from Tengnoupal DHQ, the base of his mission field, that he met Miss Jamhoi Haokip who later became his partner for life as Pi Jamhoi Singsit.

The awesome two-some raised a Christian family and built up the work for the Lord together, through thick and thin. After the Missionaries left, from 1951, Pu Lalkhopao took care of Keithelmanbi ME School as Teacher.

SEIBOI WAS GOOD IN STUDIES: Bro Seiboi excelled in studies right from the beginning. He passed Class X from Motbung High School. He also dabbled in socio-political activities for a while in the formation of Kuki Chiefs Zonal Council.

As an educated local man, he served Sadar Hills ADC Demand Committee as the Gen. Secretary and was a part of the entourage who met Mr KC Pant, the then Union Home Minister, in Delhi. Their endeavour bore fruit. SHADC became a reality in 1971.

HE AIMED HIGH : Bro Singsit, as he's popularly known in Christian circles, left home to join MSc course in the prestigious Madras Christian College in 1972. It was there that he met his Christian guru in the person of Professor Rajguru who built up the foundations of his spiritual life. Their association led to the establishment of LEF, Imphal Centre.

Fresh with an MSc Degree, in 1974, the home-rooted scholar tired his brain for 3 years to form and firm up Keithelmanbi High School. In 1977, Pu Singsit cracked the UPSC-conducted AICS Exam and became an IFS Officer of MT Cadre.

Church leaders often sought the Christian Officer's help when the need arose in Church construction, holding revival meetings and Bible camps. As a converted believer, Bro Singsit never sent them back empty handed. He simply didn't know how to be thrifty when it came to the cause of Church activity.

CAREER IN INDIAN FOREST SERVICE : Before he was promoted as CF in 1990 and CCF, Manipur in 1993, Pu Singsit was posted as DFO/Jiribam, DFO/Chandel, DFO/Social Forestry etc. it was during his stint as DFO/Jiribam that rubber plantation was taken up on a big scale.

The Forest Officer who took up his assignments with a passion reserved for religion, left an indelible mark in social forestry wherever he was transferred to. His name is credited to the green tree-laned road-stretch between Ningthoukhong and Bishnupur on Tiddim road, Manipur.

Of course, many other bureaucrats also claimed credit for the successful plantation that gave commuters a pleasurable ride. It's pardonable human weakness to gloat over a job done well.

EXPOSURE CONFERRED HIGHER FINERY: As the first Eimi IFS Officer, Bro Seiboi got the best opportunities to fine-tune his subject of call. In 1989, he underwent a 3 month Specialist Social Forestry Course at Oxford Forestry Institute.

In 1992, he was privileged to go for an UNEP course in TUFT's Univ, Boston, USA and do a PG Degree Study on Environmental Management. He was also sent by the State Govt on deputation to man the post of Dy. Director General (Extn & Research) to Indian Council of Forestry & Education, Dehradun in 1999.

SOJOURNS ABROAD : The accredited IFS Officer also represented GoI in many international meets like in Research Collaboration with USA-Washington DC, California, North & South Carolina, Syracuse Univ, Hawaiian Univ, Honolulu, University of Kuai, Big Island, Hawaii. Pu Singsit also attended an International Symposium on Social Forestry at University of Edinburgh, Scotland, UK; World Park's Congress, Durban, South Africa and Wild Life Education Participation at Kabul, Afghanistan.

Add to this the meetings he attended in China on Studies on Bamboo Products, and his professional trips to participate in meetings on Agro-Forestry Studies in Germany, France, Switzerland, Belgium etc.

HE RETIRED AS THE TOP MAN IN HIS DEPTT: Pu Seiboi Singsit was finally promoted to hold the top post in his department, that of PCCF. His superannuation came in 2011. But he was assigned the responsibility of Chairman, MPSC in the same year. During his tenure in the State Public Service Commission, many exams were conducted smoothly. He was rested from his MPSC assignment in March, 2013.

Now he lives a happy retired life with no cause for regret in the company of his wife, Mrs Hatnu Singsit, his well-placed sons and daughter.

May God bless the Singsit household.