Famous Personalities of Meghalaya

Meghalaya is a state in northeastern India. In Sanskrit, ‘Megha’ means ‘cloud’ and ‘alaya’ means ‘abode’. Meghalaya was a part of Assam until it was carved out as a separate Hill State in 1972, and the United Khasi Hills and Jaintia Hills, and the Garo Hills formed Meghalaya. People from tribes make up most of the population in Meghalaya, with Khasis forming the largest group. Meghalaya has a high population of Christians, while the Hindus are a minority. In this article, we will read about some famous personalities of Assam, namely, Arundhati Roy, Patralekha Paul, PA Sangma, Mukul Sangma, Karen David, and Silverine Swer. 

• Arundhati Roy 

Suzanna Arundhati Roy was born on 24 November 1961 in Shillong. She is famous for her semi-autobiographical novel The God of Small Things, which won the Man Booker Prize for Fiction in 1997. In the initial phase of her career, Arundhati Roy worked in television and movies and wrote screenplays. She also wrote a television serial called The Banyan Tree. Her second novel, The Ministry of Utmost Happiness, was also nominated for the Man Booker Prize in 2017. She was on the 2014 Time 100 list and has won the Sahitya Akademi Award. 

• Patralekha Paul 

Born in 1989 to a Chartered Accountant father and a homemaker mother, Patralekha is an actress by profession. She started her career in 2014 with the Hindi film Citylights opposite Rajkumar Rao. Her performance was applauded, and she also won an award for it. Patralekha and Rajkumar Rao got married in 2021 in Chandigarh, India. She has acted in 3 movies– Citylights, Love Games, and Nanu Ki Jaanu. She has also starred in several television serials and web series like Bose: Dead/Alive, Cheers, Badnaam Gali, Forbidden Love, and Mai Hero Boll Raha Hu.

• P.A. Sangma 

Purno Agitok Sangma (1 September 1947 – 4 March 2016) was an Indian politician and the 11th Speaker of the Lok Sabha between 1996 and 1998. Sangma was honoured with the Padma Vibhushan posthumously. He was one of the founders of the National Congress Party (NCP) with Sharad Pawar and Tariq Anwar He was associated with NCP from 1999 to 2004 and from 2005 to 2012. He was also affiliated with the All India Trinamool Congress for a year. In 1973, he was elected as the Vice President of the Pradesh Youth Congress.

• Mukul Sangma 

Mukul Manda Sangma is an Indian Politician and was the Chief Minister of Meghalaya for 8 years, from 2010 to 2018. Born to teachers on 20 April 1965, Mukul Sangma graduated in medicine and briefly worked as a health and medical officer in 1991. Today, he is a leader in the opposition of the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly. From the year 2021, he is also a member of the All India Trinamool Congress. He was born in the year 1965 in Meghalaya, India. The Meghalaya Health Insurance Scheme was launched by him in 2015. He has also launched Mission Football, which intends to develop and promote football in Meghalaya. 

• Karen David 

Karen Shenaz David was born on 15 April 1979 to parents of Chinese, Khasi and a sliver of Jewish descent. She is a Canadian actress, singer, and lyricist born in Shillong, Meghalaya. She is known for her role as Princess Isabella in the American musical fantasy, Galavant. She started her career in 1999. Her first single was released in 2003. David is a part of many active charities, including Designer Against Aids and the SOS Children’s Villages Foundation. 

• Silverine Swer 

A social activist, an academic, and a civil servant, Silverine Swer was the first person from a tribal community to secure a senior post with the Meghalaya Government. She was popularly known as Kong Sil, which in Khasi means elder sister. Swer (1910-2014) was the first person from Meghalaya to be honoured with the Padma Shri. She also received several other awards, such as the Patogan Sangma Award for social service, the Silver Elephant Medal of the Bharat Scouts and Guides Award, and the Kaiser-i-Hind Medal. On her 100th birthday in 2010, a special party was hosted at Raj Bhavanthe by the Governor of Meghalaya. 

Conclusion

The northeastern state of Meghalaya is a densely populated state abundant in flora and fauna. Its richness is not limited to just nature. Some of the famous personalities in India are from Meghalaya. Arundhati Roy, Patralekha Paul, and PA Sangma have become famous for their contribution to literature, arts, and politics. A few like Karen David have also gained international fame, making their communities proud.