Ungma, Mokokchung | June 24, 2026

When President Droupadi Murmu conferred the Padma Shri upon Sangyusang S. Pongener at Rashtrapati Bhavan on June 23, the honour was bestowed on an 81-year-old folk artist from Nagaland. But for many across the Northeast, it felt like something much larger — a national salute to a man who has spent nearly seven decades ensuring that an entire people’s memory does not fade away.

Popularly known as Guru Pongener, the Ao-Naga cultural stalwart from Ungma village in Mokokchung district has dedicated his life to preserving songs, dances, folktales and traditions that once existed only in the memories of village elders and in the oral traditions of the community.

At a time when modernization, migration and changing lifestyles threatened to erode indigenous knowledge systems, he quietly took upon himself the responsibility of becoming their custodian.

Born on March 23, 1945, to Chutisang and Kedimenla Pongener, he grew up listening to stories, songs and wisdom passed down through generations. Inspired by cultural visionary Dr. I. Satemmeren Longkumer, a teenage Pongener began learning traditional Ao songs, dances and folklore from village elders, determined to preserve what many feared could one day be lost.

What began as youthful curiosity soon became a lifelong mission.

The Man Who Refused to Let Memory Die

For more than six decades, Guru Pongener has worked as a performer, composer, teacher, researcher and institution builder. He has composed nearly 60 original Ao cultural songs, performed on local, national and international stages, and worked as both actor and director in folk theatre.

Yet his greatest contribution lies not in the songs he created, but in the generations he nurtured.

Over the years, he has trained more than 2,000 young artists and personally mentored over 100 apprentices, many of whom have gone on to become cultural ambassadors in their own right. Even today, at 81, he continues to guide young learners through the Government of India’s Kala-Deeksha programme, passing on traditional Naga music and dance to a new generation.

Recognizing that culture survives only when communities come together to protect it, he co-founded the Naga Wadir Welfare Cultural Club in 1982 and has served as its General Secretary ever since.

Under his stewardship, the organization has evolved into one of Nagaland’s most important cultural institutions, organizing festivals, workshops and heritage programmes while safeguarding indigenous traditions for future generations.

Those who know him often say that Guru Pongener never viewed folk music as mere entertainment. To him, every song carried history. Every dance reflected identity. Every story preserved the relationship between a people, their land and their ancestors.

That belief has shaped his life’s work.

Recognition followed gradually — the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 2002, the Guru title conferred by NEZCC and IGNOU, the Governor’s Award for Art and Music in 2017, and now the Padma Shri in 2026.

But long before the awards arrived, Guru Pongener had already earned something far more enduring: the respect of generations who regard him as the living guardian of Ao-Naga heritage.

The Padma Shri Is Not Just for One Man

The Padma Shri awarded to Guru Pongener is not merely recognition of an individual’s achievement. It is a tribute to the countless village elders who entrusted him with their knowledge, to indigenous traditions that survived despite the pressures of modernity, and to communities across Nagaland that continue to keep their cultural roots alive.

Across the world, indigenous languages, songs and oral traditions are disappearing at an alarming rate. In such a time, Guru Pongener’s life stands as a powerful reminder that culture survives not because it is archived, but because someone chooses to carry it forward.

For nearly seven decades, he has been that person.

The songs he preserved are still sung. The dances he taught are still performed. The stories he collected continue to be told.

Through thousands of students and countless performances, his work has ensured that the cultural heartbeat of the Ao-Naga people remains alive.

As the nation applauds the Padma Shri awardee from Ungma, Nagaland celebrates something even more profound — a man who dedicated his entire life to protecting a heritage that cannot be measured in wealth or monuments.

Some people create history, others preserve it.Guru Sangyusang S. Pongener has done both.

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