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FR. JOSEPH VERZOTTO MEMORIAL LECTURE 2025

Fr. Joseph Verzotto Memorial Lecture 2025

Sonada, September 23, 2025 -The Department of Philosophy at Salesian College, Sonada, organized the 26th Fr. Joseph Verzotto Memorial Lecture on the 23rd of September, 2025. The event was held in memory of Fr. Joseph Verzotto SDB, an Italian missionary to India whose contributions to the Salesian mission were recalled and honoured during the programme.

The event began with Fr. Pritam Barla SDB, the Campus Minister providing a brief yet insightful overview of the life and legacy of Fr. Joseph Verzotto, highlighting his missionary zeal and service to the community.  Br. (Dr.) Augustine Joseph SDB, the Vice Principal of the college garlanded the portrait of  Fr. Verzotto, marking a ceremonial tribute. 

The lecture was delivered by Mrs. Pamchuila Muivah, Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Sonada Degree College. Mrs. Muivah has been teaching philosophy since 2010 and is also a nominee for the position of Vice-Chancellor at North Bengal University.

The lecture delivered by Mrs. Muivah was titled: "Death as a Collective Experience: Exploring Death and Afterlife among the Tangkhul Naga Community of Manipur." In her lecture, Mrs. Muivah explored the death rituals and cultural beliefs of the Tangkhul Naga ethnic group residing in the Ukhrul district of Manipur. She discussed how death is not perceived as an isolated event but as a collective experience within the community. Key cultural practices shared during the lecture included: burial ceremonies where animal sacrifices are traditionally performed;  Onra Ceremony in which monuments are erected to honour the deceased; Waryaithing Ceremony observed in December, where gifts are presented to the dead which is  based on the community’s belief in the afterlife; Kathi Kasham Feast, a ten-day communal gathering considered as the final period during which the dead coexist with the living.

Mrs. Muivah emphasized how these rituals reflect a deep communal solidarity, where burial rites are not carried out by the family alone but by the community, reinforcing social bonds even in the face of death.

Following the lecture was a short interactive question-and-answer session that allowed participants to engage further with the insights presented. The event concluded with the vote of thanks delivered by Br. Rohit Nayak SDB, expressing gratitude to the resource person, organizers, and participants. 

The lecture was a valuable learning experience that helped the participants understand how different communities view life and death, providing a broader and more respectful perspective of different cultural expressions. 

 

Br. Lamkupar Nonglang SDB