These Unsung Heroes of Nagaland Will Inspire You to Be a Better Person

Here is your chance to get to know some of the men and women who were honoured at the first edition of the Nagaland Red Carpet Social Awards for their contributions in the field of art, sports, entertainment and society.

1. Sangti Konyak

This young man is from Tobu Town and is on a mission to ensure that the youth of his community gets the help that they need – whether monetary or otherwise.

Sangti grew up facing several hardships, and that has been one of the factors that led him to help others in need.

He put in his own pocket money to ensure that the requirements of others are catered to.

A social activist, he is known for the road he constructed for the people of Tobu and the library he opened for the jail inmates. He also started an RTI group in their village.

For more information on the work being done by Sangti, do visit the Facebook page.

2. Jenpu Rongmei

Jenpu is the founder of Community Avenue Network (CAN), a youth-led nonprofit based in Dimapur, Nagaland.

CAN operates projects including providing material and moral support to children living with HIV/AIDS, vocational training for underprivileged youth, and mobilising volunteers from different colleges and villages to engage in community service.

Jenpu had a troubled childhood and teen years. His father was an alcoholic who physically beat his mother. Jenpu had to drop out of college due to financial constraints. And the biggest blow of them all – his brother, David, died due to drug abuse.

None of this stopped Jenpu. In fact, he worked harder to ensure that he met his goals.

“My motivation is my past. I know how much I struggled. I know the loss of my brother. I can see that the same pain that I was in, the same pain and struggle in a lot of young people. I keep my past beside it, it motivates me to go ahead,” as reported by Yourstory.

3. Sandemo Ngullie

Sandemo has been a cartoonist for more than a decade, and he likes to stay on top of the news, sports, and current affairs. His style of illustration is best recognised for his funny and brilliant general human observations.

Recognising his talent, he was also awarded the Governor’s Award for Excellence in Arts (2016).

Speaking about his work, fellow cartoonist Arien Jamir says, “The level of creativity, wit and humour in his work is above anybody else’s. He has single-handedly kept the cartoon section alive in our newspaper,” as reported in Morung Express.

4. Niketu Iralu

Niketu Iralu is a prominent intellectual and preacher of peace and non-violence. He is also one of the Trustees of the Centre for North East Studies on policy research. Niketu Iralu was born in 1935 in Nagaland, close to the Indo-Myanmar border.

Having lived, travelled, and worked in places across the country, he and his family returned to Nagaland in 1995 to work for its betterment.

After his return, while Niketu made himself available to anyone from anywhere, he also concentrated on doing something for his Naga people. Identifying the widespread problem of alcohol and substance addiction, he has been working towards creating awareness on its ill-effects.

5. N K Keny

Keny is a para-legal volunteer (PLV) from Nagaland who also holds the distinction of winning the Best Zonal PLV from the north-east at the annual awards ceremony organised by the National Legal Services Authority (NLSA) on the occasion of Legal Services Day in November.

“I will not rest on my laurels. To me the award is a call… a challenge to commit and dedicate more to my work. The best award will be when it comes from above,” Keny said, as reported in Morung Express.

She works for the rights of the downtrodden, particularly marginalised women and children.

Here’s wishing all these amazing people all the very best and hope they inspire many others to follow suit.

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