In keeping with its mission to honour ‘unsung heroes’, the Central Government announced 85 Padma awards on Thursday including 8 noted personalities of different fields from the Northern region.
While Nagaland’s noted Gandhian Lentina Ao Thakkar has been conferred Padma Shri award in social work, Piyong Temjen Jamir of Nagaland has been conferred Padma Shri award in Literature and Education.
It may be mentioned that Thakkar is the wife of noted Gandhian, freedom fighter and social worker Natwar Thakkar.
Lentina Ao Thakkar, who has served as a Gandhian at the Gandhi Ashram in Chuchuyimlang village of Mokokchung in Nagaland for many decades, is the first woman in her village to study up to seventh standard.
According to sources, Lentina Ao Thakkar is also the first Naga woman who was trained as a Gandhian woman volunteer at the Kashturba Ashram located in Ulubari area of Guwahati in Assam 1950s.
Lentina Ao Thakkar is now 84 years old.
On the other hand, A Zakia of Mizoram has been conferred Padma Shri award in Literature and Education.
Manipur’s Saikhom Mirabai Chanu has been conferred the award in sports (Weightlifting) and Langpoklakpam Subadani Devi in art (weaving).
Tripura’s Somdev Devvarman has been conferred Padma Shri in sports (Tennis); Assam’s Arup Kumar Dutta in Literature and Education; Joyshree Goswami Mahanta in Literature and Education and Prafulla Govinda Barua in Literature and Education-Journalism.