While the entire world is held back by the Covid-19 pandemic, women of Northeast India are shining, inspiring, and showing the path to millions.
Boxer Lovlina Borgohain nominated for Arjuna Award by the Boxing Federation of India while the film Xubala, the music of which was directed by Tarali Sharma, was screened in Lift-off Sessions Film Festival 2020, UK, and Lift-off Sessions Film Festival 2020, Hollywood.
Malakshmi Borthakur, one of the noted writers from Assam, was honoured by Motivational Strips and Gujarat Sahitya. She has made it to the list of 350 writers from 80 countries across the world.
Dipali Bhattacharyya after the demise of her husband started a home business of pickles ‘Prakrity’ with just Rs 10,000 and now earning Rs 5 lacs per year.
Chanchui Khayi from Manipur and Vidisenuo Belho from Nagaland was adjudged winner and the first runner-up respectively in the solo singing competition at K-Pop Indian Contest 2020 which is part of Changwon K-Pop World Festival.
Pansy Brahma from Assam has brought laurels to the state and the country by winning the Best Actress award at Big Sound International Film Festival, Canada 2020.
Ngangom Bala Devi of Manipur (who also plays as forward for Scottish Women’s Premier League club Rangers) became the first Indian woman On 6 December 2020, to score in a professional football league in Europe by netting for the Gers, as they won against Motherwell L.F.C. by 9-0.
Gargi Nandi of Meghalaya won Miss India Global title.
Kumari Venish Keisham of Manipur received the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar in the ‘Art and Culture’ category and Kumari Arshiya Das got in the field of Innovation and Sports, respectively.
An acclaimed author Juri Borah Borgohain wrote a novel called ‘Sihont’ which highlights the story of the brutal rape of 11 women on two cold nights in January 1988 during the peak of the Bodo movement in Assam.
On 25th January 2021, Assamese women made history when three women – Lakhimi Baruah (social worker); Birubala Rabha (social worker), and Bijoya Chakraborty (politician) conferred with the 4th highest civilian award – Padma Shri Award by honourable President of India.
In Prag Cine Awards 2021 too, females shined in almost all categories.
The best actress award was conferred to Swagata Bharali (for Gobardhan Sorit) and Barsha Rani Bishaya (for Ratnakar), the best-supporting actress award was conferred to Pratibha Chaudhary (for Pokhilar Pakhi), best music direction award is conferred to Archana Bhattacharjee (for Pokhilar Pakhi) and best playback singer award is conferred to Gayatri Hazarika (for Ratnakar) and last but not the least, best costume design award is conferred to Navanita Sharma Bora (for Ratnakar).
Tanupriya Kalita’s Assamese song got broadcasted on Sound Street Radio (Japan/UK) and Fun Rock Radio (Norway) on 5th Feb and 16th February respectively.
The song got 4th position on SSR’s Indie Radio Alliance Top 10 Hits and was appreciated by famous British musician Steve Benham in New Music Review Show 103.
Bhagyabati Kachari made it to the quarter-finals at the ongoing 72nd Strandja Memorial Boxing Tournament in Sofia, Bulgaria.
Hima Das won a gold medal in the women’s 200m in the Indian Grand Prix II, 2021 at the Netaji Subhas National Institute of Sports campus and inducted as Deputy Superintendent of Assam Police on February 27 last.
Simran Sharma of Guwahati was selected by Glamanand Supermodel India as the official entry of India for the Miss Grand International 2020 event to be held in Thailand on 21 March 2021. Earlier; Simran represented India at Miss Multinational.
These great women of the Northeast are role models for many and showing the entire world that even during bad times, it is possible to perform.
Salute to all the women on the occasion of International Women’s Day who inspired us in this tough time.