Life Sketch of Shrimati Kanan Devi

Shrimati Kanan Devi was born to Shri Nongthombam Kanhai Singh and Nongthombam Ongbi Ton Shija near Kongba Bazar, Imphal on 4th April, 1944 after the Japanese air raid on 10th May, 1942. Her elder sister Prabhabati Devi is a Dowager Rani of his late Highness, the Maharaja Budhachandra Singhji.

She was married to Shri Laishram Joychandra Singh, Chief Editor Prajatantra on 9th April, 1961. She had eight children, 3 sons and 5 daughters. She was educated upto Kovid in Hindi (Matric Standard).

Kanan Devi was a woman of humanitarian pursuits. She kept her home environment with rigid discipline and strict enforcement of modesty. In her very style of looking, she was so simple and pious. There was cognizance in cooking, relatives and friends adored her. Indeed, indications of fair housekeeping.

Forbearing in adversity, courageous amidst crisis and phlegmatic during predicaments makes her a woman of substance. When we educate a man, we educate an individual but when we educate a woman, we educate a whole family that was here motto of life.

She was an ardent devotee of Rasheswari and Govindaji and offered apparel and ornaments to the idols, installed in the Shri Shri Govindaji Temple. She visited Nabadwip, Brindavin, Radhakund, Tirupati several times and prayed to the Almighty God for peace and well-being for her near and dear ones.

But alas Fate, the most inconsistent elements one of its inexplicable stress altered the whole course of her life. She was attacked by one of the new and most dreadful diseases called HEMANGOPERICYTOMA (restricted Cancer at the joint of food pipe and lungs) in 1978. She was treated by the well-known doctors and surgeons of India and USA. Her case was the first such in India and the fifth in the world. One lobe of her lungs was removed. She felt relieved and rested for some years.

In February, 1982 reoccurrence of the disease started. She was taken to Japan, Dr. S. Sudho and Dr. R. Kumar of Japan told her husband that she would not survived. Thus hopeless she came back to Imphal and breathed her last at 09:05 p.m. on 3rd December, 1982.
Before 5 minutes of her life close she expressed her last wish to her husband in presence of several doctors and other members of her family that "One very good school in her name should be established. Students should be taught the greatness of India, spiritual values and necessity of praying to God every day and routine course of life should be impressed upon to all the students."

Many V.I.P. including Smt. Indira Gandhi, Prime Minister of India sent condolence message on her untimely demise. She died at the age of 38.