Inspirations from Scientists of Manipur : Prof. Laishram Ladu Singh
Downloadable Book Extract – Serial No : 4

Research Institute Of Science & Technology (RIST) *

Prof. Laishram Ladu Singh

Uncharted sojourn of life
Prof. Laishram Ladusingh
Ex Vice-Chancellor,
Bodoland University, Assam

When this memory piece was written, I was almost completing five years’ term as the Vice-Chancellor of Bodoland University, Kokrajhar, Assam. Prior to it, I was serving as Officiating Director at the International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS), Mumbai, from where I superannuated in March 2019.

My professional career is full of adventure and misadventure, risking not just the professional career but also the livelihood of my family. When I look back, I have no clue to how I succeeded in my professional career as I was not in a position to have career aspiration and expectation under the dire financial circumstances.

I had my early schooling from Nachou Primary School in the present Bishnupur district. Nachou is the village where my parents lived when I was born, and then they migrated to Imphal where my father worked as labourer, had worked as Chowkidar during the construction of Imphal College and mother as vendor.

I attended many primary schools in Tiddim Road, Chingmeirong localities, including Mahatma Gandhi School, Nagamapal, depending on the place where my father would work. As such I did not have the opportunity of regular formal primary schooling. I remember having stood first in some annual examinations at the primary level. At last my father got a peon’s post in the then Tombisana High School and had the first luxury of staying in the school quarter after spending early childhood in khola of contractors and small rented houses in different locations.

I studied from class III to X in Tombisana High School but was marred by prolonged treatment of injured right leg and had to spend largely in hospital. I attended classes sporadically as and when there was relief from the treatment, mostly self-studied in hospital bed and my father used to take me on his back for examinations till class VI. I got cured after treatment in Jorhat Mission Hospital and started attending classes regularly from class VII. I also remembered securing second or third positions in some annual examinations while in high school.

I lost my father in 1972, a year before I appeared for matriculation examination. I got high second class in class X examination which helped me to get admission in D.M. College of Science and I gradually picked up the tempo of education. My mother as a vendor struggled hard to support for payment of my college fee and buying books. I used to go to my elder brother’s friends for borrowing old books with them and borrowed books from classmates.

I got moral boost after I passed B.Sc. in 1977 with distinction. It had ignited the dream of higher study but family financial distress was still at the back of mind. I spent a year taking tuition and saving money for pursuing higher study. In the meantime, my elder brother got a job in Indian Navy, which brightened my dream of higher education.

Download Inspirations from Scientists of Manipur - Serial No : 3 here ( 115 KB - PDF)