Ramkuiwangbe Jeme Newme
A Zeliangrong leader from Haflong who has worked to keep the Heraka faith and culture alive, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2023.
Ramkuiwangbe Jeme Newme is a social worker from Assam and patron of the Zeliangrong Heraka Association of Northeast India. He was named for the Padma Shri in 2023 in the field of social work, from Assam [1].
With Rani Gaidinliu
Newme was born on 25 May 1947 and graduated from Shillong Government College in 1975 [2]. In 1977 he became personal assistant to Rani Gaidinliu, the freedom fighter and spiritual leader of the Zeliangrong people [2]. He later wrote her biography [2].
In 1980 the North Cachar Hills District Council in Haflong took him on as a schools sub-inspector, and he retired as district primary education officer in 2011 [2].
Faith, culture and peace
In 1974 he was the founding general secretary of the Zeliangrong Heraka Association [2]. He has worked to preserve Heraka, the indigenous faith of the Zeliangrong, and its culture, and has spoken out against forced religious conversion in the region [2]. He also transcribed the Heraka scripture Tingwang Hingde [2].
He has worked for girls’ education and for women, and helped many poor students reach their goals [2]. In 2009 he took personal risks to help bring about peace talks that eased the conflict between the Naga and Dimasa communities [2].
NITTE University in Mangaluru gave him an honorary DSc in 2018 for his work on women’s empowerment and development in the Northeast [2].
Sources
- [1] Padma Awards 2023: list of awardees — Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. Accessed 21 October 2026.
- [2] Padma Awards 2023: citation for Ramkuiwangbe Jeme Newme — Padma Awards, Government of India. Accessed 21 October 2026.
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