VL Nghaka (91 yrs), Padma Shri awardee 2022, was felicitated by Mizoram Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati today at the governor's residence. The 91 year old Padma Awardee was conferred the Padma Shri for Literature & Education at this year's 73rd Republic Day, making him the only awardee from Mizoram this year.
From 1954 till his retirement, V.L Nghaka worked tirelessly for the promotion of Hindi Education in Mizoram amidst the opposition from different angles such as the Mizo National Front before and during the insurgency. In 1954, the first Mizoram Hindi Prachar Sabha was established under his presidentship. The Sabha has expanded to 18 schools with B.A Hindi course, 35 Prachar centres and 64 Vidhyalayas. B.Ed Hindi Training College has also been set up. All these are the fruits of the effort of V.L Nghaka to promote Hindi education in Mizoram.
He also worked as a peacemaker between the Indian Army and the Mizo National Front during the 20 year insurgency. During this period, he was the interpreter as he was the first Mizo to pass Shiksha Visharad. He bailed out more than 100 Mizo prisoners from the Indian Army by negotiating with the authorities, paying bail money from his own pocket and by signing Bail Bonds. The most significant proof of his heroism is his act of retrieving the body of an 18year-old girl from an underground pond called Tuilut, located in the outskirts of Kolasib in 1971.
In the short felicitation ceremony, Governor Hari Babu Kambhampati praised VL Nghaka for his valuable contribution to the development of the Hindi language in the state for a span of more than 40 years. He also expressed his respect and admiration for the selfless social services that he offered during the insurgency period and his role in the peacemaking process.
