Veteran Naga folk actor, director and cultural Guru Sangyusang S. Pongener (80) from Nagaland has been selected for the prestigious Padma Shri Award in the field of Art, one of India’s highest civilian honours.
A towering figure in Naga folk theatre and traditional performance, Pongener has devoted several decades to the preservation, promotion and teaching of indigenous Naga cultural art forms. Through his work as an actor, director and mentor, he has played a crucial role in keeping traditional storytelling, music and performance alive, while nurturing generations of young artistes across the state.
The Padma Shri recognition is being widely hailed as a moment of pride for Nagaland and the entire Northeast, highlighting the rich and often underrepresented tribal artistic heritage of the region.
Cultural bodies and art practitioners have welcomed the honour, calling it a long-overdue acknowledgment of Pongener’s lifelong contribution to Indian folk art.
