Helen Giri Syiem | |
|---|---|
| Born | Meghalaya, India |
| Occupation(s) | Musicologist Historian |
| Known for | Khasi music |
| Awards | Padma Shri |
Helen Giri Syiem is an Indian musicologist and historian, known for her efforts in promoting Khasi music tradition. [1] A former member of faculty at the North Eastern Hill University, she is a member of the executive council of the Sangeet Natak Akademi. [2]
She is known to have contributed in the restoration of traditional Khasi musical instruments and has instituted a scholarship fund at the Martin Luther Christian University, Shillong for the promotion of Khasi music. [3]
She assisted in the establishment of 35 traditional music institutes and has organized music festivals, besides working for the rehabilitation of physically disabled children. [1]
Her book, Khasi Under British Rule, 1824-1947, is a historical narrative of Khasi life during the pre-independence period. [4]
The Government of India awarded her the fourth highest civilian honour of the Padma Shri in 2008, for her contributions to Khasi music. [5]
Meghalaya is a state in northeast India. Meghalaya was formed on 21 January 1972 by carving out two districts from the state of Assam: (a) the United Khasi Hills and Jaintia Hills and (b) the Garo Hills. The population of Meghalaya as of 2014 is estimated to be 3,211,474. Meghalaya covers an area of approximately 22,429 square kilometres, with a length-to-breadth ratio of about 3:1.
Shillong is a hill station and the capital of Meghalaya, a state in northeastern India. It is the headquarters of the East Khasi Hills district. Shillong is the 330th most populous city in India with a population of 143,229 according to the 2011 census. It is said that the rolling hills around the town reminded the British of Scotland. Hence, they would also refer to it as the "Scotland of the East".
The Khasi people are an ethnic group of Meghalaya in north-eastern India with a significant population in the bordering state of Assam, and in certain parts of Bangladesh. Khasi people form the majority of the population of the eastern part of Meghalaya, that is Khasi Hills, constituting 78.3% of the region's population, and is the state's largest community, with around 48% of the population of Meghalaya. They are among the few Austroasiatic-speaking peoples in South Asia. The Khasi tribe holds the distinction of being one of the few remaining matriarchal tribes of the world. Under the Constitution of India, the Khasis have been granted the status of Scheduled Tribe.
Kesarbai Kerkar was an Indian classical vocalist of the Jaipur-Atrauli gharana. A protege of Ustad Alladiya Khan (1855–1946), the founder of the gharana, from age sixteen, she went on to become one of the most noted khayal singers of the second half of the 20th century.
Tanjore Balasaraswati, also known as Balasaraswati, was an Indian dancer, and her rendering of Bharatanatyam, a classical dance style originated in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu, made this style of dancing well known in different parts of India and many parts of the world.
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Surinder Kaur was an Indian singer and songwriter. While she mainly sang Punjabi folk songs, where she is credited for pioneering and popularising the genre, Kaur also recorded songs as a playback singer for Hindi films between 1948 and 1952. For her contributions to Punjabi music, she earned the sobriquet Nightingale of Punjab, the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1984, and the Padma Shri in 2006.
Esther John, born Qamar Zia, on 14 December 1929; died 2 February 1960) was a Pakistani Christian nurse who was murdered in 1960 for her efforts in Christian evangelism. She was subsequently recognized as a Christian martyr. In 1998, she was honoured with a statue above the great west door of Westminster Abbey, among nine other Christian martyrs of the twentieth century.
Chitra Visweswaran is an Indian Bharata Natyam dancer who runs a dance school, the Chidambaram Academy of Performing Arts, in Chennai.
Martin Luther Christian University was established in July 2005. The university is named after Martin Luther (1483–1546), the father of reformation. MLCU is the first Christian university in India after more than two centuries of Christian education in the country that does not focus on theological training. The creation and functioning of the university is in accordance with the University Grants Commission Act, 1956, under Section 2(f).
Banira Giri was a Nepalese poet and novelist, best known for her novels such as Karagar, Nirbandha and her poetry collections such as Jiwan: Thayamaru, Euta Jiundo Jung Bahadur, etc. In 1999, she received the Sajha Puraskar for her novel, Shabdatit Shantanu, becoming the first woman to win the prize.
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Patricia Mukhim is an Indian social activist, writer, journalist and the editor of Shillong Times, known for her social activism. A recipient of honours such as Chameli Devi Jain award, ONE India award, Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry FLO award, Upendra Nath Brahma Soldier of Humanity award, Siva Prasad Barooah National award and North East Excellence award, she was honored by the Government of India, in 2000, with the fourth highest Indian civilian award of Padma Shri.
Annette Schmiedchen is a German author, scholar of Sanskrit epigraphy, indologist, a researcher at the Humboldt University of Berlin and a member of faculty of Indology at Martin Luther University of Halle-Wittenberg. She is the author of several articles on Indian heritage and Culture and the book, Herrschergenealogie und Religioses Patronat: Die Inschriftenkultur der Rastrakutas, Silaharas und Yadavas, the 17th book released under the series, Gonda Indological Studies by Brill Publishers. The Government of India honoured her in 2015 with the award of Padma Shri, the fourth highest Indian civilian award.
Chitra Jayant Naik (1918–2010) was an Indian educationist, writer, social worker, the chairperson of the Indian Institute of Education and the expert member of the Planning Commission of India. She was the chairperson of the Non-formal Education Committee set up by the Ministry of Human Resource Development and was a member of the National Literacy Mission. The Government of India awarded her the fourth highest Indian civilian honour of Padma Shri in 1986.
Silverine Swer (1910–2014), popularly known as Kong Sil, was an Indian social and environmental activist, educationist and civil servant. She was the first person of tribal origin to hold senior posts with the Government of Meghalaya, and was a recipient of the Silver Elephant Medal of the Bharat Scouts and Guides Award and Kaisar-i-Hind Medal. The Government of India awarded her the fourth highest civilian award of Padma Shri in 1990, making her the first recipient of the award from the state of Meghalaya.
Basanti Devi was an Indian independence activist during the British rule in India. She was the wife of activist Chittaranjan Das. After Das' arrest in 1921 and death in 1925, she took an active part in various political and social movements and continued with social work post-independence. She was awarded the Padma Vibhushan in 1973.
Shanti Hiranand was an Indian vocalist, classical musician and writer, known for her proficiency as a ghazal singer. She was the author of the book Begum Akhtar: The Story of My Ammi, a biographical work on Begum Akhtar, a renowned Ghazal singer.
Padma Anagol is a historian known for her work on women's agency and subjectivities in colonial India. Her work broadly focuses on gender and women's history in colonial British India. Her research interests also include a wide spectrum of topics such as material culture, consumption and Indian middle classes, theory, historiography and periodization of Modern India and comparative histories of Victorian and Indian patriarchies over the issues of social legislation.
