Aizawl: Days after his success story was aired in media and some social networking sites, help poured in from different quarters for Given Lawmnakima Thiak, eldest son of a poor farmer in north Mizoram’s Kolasib district. Thiak was lauded for clearing the Class X board exams with ‘distinction’ (75% marks and above) despite financial constraints.
On Tuesday, Clement Liankunga, a retired IAS officer from the state, offered Thiak a room at his residence in Aizawl for him to stay and take rest during his holidays and vacations or if he decides to study in the state capital.
The 1985-batch IAS officer, who retired as additional chief secretary of Bihar in 2017, said he visited Thiak’s bamboo hut on Monday and his heart melted when he saw the wretched living conditions of the family.
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Liankunga had sponsored the boy’s admission and given money to his parents as a token of appreciation for looking after nine children in such living conditions.
He also presented his autobiography title Ka Zinkawng Bumboh to the 15-year-old boy.
The Bihar-cadre IAS officer, whose sheer determination and willpower made him clear one of the country’s toughest competitive exams after getting married and having two children, said he would not pass even his Class 10 exams if he were to live like Thiak.
He said he had interviewed the boy for over an hour during which he discovered the inspiring thing about him.
“Given is a unique and promising boy, who despite many financial constraints would not give up education to clear Class X with distinction,” he said, adding he truly admired the boy. He added that the hardworking boy did not have complete text books while preparing for board exams and sometime had to depend on others.
Sometimes the boy could not attend classes as he had to help his father at jhum land to support their family, Liankunga said.
Apart from congratulating the boy, many generous people from Mizoram and some from Assam and Manipur have also expressed their desire to reward the boy.
The Hmar Students’ Association (HSA), the lone student body of the Hmar tribe headquartered in Manipur’s Churachandpur district and its joint headquarters in Aizawl, have also announced to reward the boy.
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Earlier, Serlui constituency MLA Lalrinsanga had rewarded the boy for his achievement.
In the HSLC results declared on May 2, Thiak, who hails from Bilkhawthlir, a small town in Kolasib district and studied in a private — Bilkhawthlir High School — passed the Class X examination with ‘distinction’ and scored 433 out of 500 marks (86.6%). He also secured ‘letter’ marks in all the five subjects — English, Mizo, Mathematics, Science and Social Science.
His father, D TVL Hmangaiha, earns a living out of traditional jhum cultivation and Thiak, who is the eldest of nine siblings, helped him in the fields.
Meanwhile, chief minister Zoramthanga felicitated three students — Lalrinnungi (1st rank) and Ramnghahsangi (10th rank), both from St. Joseph Higher Secondary School, and K Lalbiaksangi of Arells Higher Secondary School. All of them belong to Aizawl East-I, the constituency from where Zoramthanga was elected.
The chief minister handed over citation and cash prizes to the three students at a function held in the CM’s bungalow on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Virthli, an e-Northeast award-winning and one of the fastest growing news online portals of the Chin-Kuki-Mizo group, has also announced that it will reward the boy.
