Re: Peshia Lam Our Naga Warrior passes away

[Guest guest]

AIDS -INDIA Forum

It's never easy to accept the loss of an associate. We recieve the news of

Peshia Lam's demise with heavy hearts. He was associated with our centre in

Nagaland in the past. All who touched us in treatment and in service are

priceless and can never be replaced. His memory will remain in the hearts of

those he touched.

With deep feelings of fellowship, we offer our condolences.

Dr. M.S. Menon

on behalf of

Kripa Foundation Family.

E-mail: <kripadarc@...>

[Guest guest]

Dear Forum,

It is with intense pain and profound sorrow that I would wish to add my

humble bit to the memory of dear departed Peshiya.

I was with him briefly last on the 21st August when I visited Nagaland to

address the newly elected legislators on HIV/AIDS and substance use issues

and concerns. Peshiya was in the AIDS hospice sleeping. It was 9:30 anm in

the morning but he was tired and it was best that he slept. I held his

hand and prayed and I hope he heard me. I asked his neighbours to tell him

that I had visited.

Peshiya and I go back a long way. He was a client when I was director of

Kripa Foundation and both of us renewed our faith in each other as well as

humanity and tried to give back to all who suffered through being service

providers at Kripa Kohima when Peshiya joined as Counsellor...Peshiya

always had a positive outlook and clients took to him naturally in his

leadership role. Many are the nights when we laughed together and then got

serious as well, discussing important things and nothing at all- while we

kept vigil over those who had assigned themselves to our care and to the

Kripa model of recovery.

I will always remember him as one who was ever active, interested,

empathetic, gentle ever smiling and committed.

It was shattering to see him lying down and sleeping when all instincts

told me that this simply could not be true as Peshiya always got up at the

crack of dawn, meditated and then took care of others... The only solace

was to see him serene and not in pain...

May he continue to guide us from the sky above and I hope that in time to

come he can observe that change has indeed resulted from the work that he

and others very vital and close to the cause did, and the world is a

little better for those who are as yet living with the virus....

Take care Pehiya and God bless,I am sure it is not Good Bye...!

My condolences also to the Nagaland Network

Anand

UNODC, New Delhi

E-mail: anand.chaudhuri@...