A. K. Nongkynrih

Founder

Founder of Foundation for Social Transformation

A. K. Nongkynrih is the founding trustee of Foundation for Social Transformation [1], an Indian non-profit working on livelihood, human rights and arts & culture from Guwahati.

Aurelius Kyrham Nongkynrih (died 20 February 2021) was an Indian sociologist and a founding member of the Foundation for Social Transformation: enabling north east india (FST), a Guwahati-based grant-making organisation supporting grassroots initiatives across North East India. He died on 20 February 2021 at Bethany Hospital in Shillong.

He was a professor in the Department of Sociology at North-Eastern Hill University at Umshing, Shillong, and a writer, whose books include Khasi Society of Meghalaya.

Career

Nongkynrih spent his academic career in the Department of Sociology at North-Eastern Hill University in Shillong, where he was a professor and served as head of department. He wrote in both Khasi and English on Khasi society and on questions of tribal social organisation, and contributed to government projects and committees in Meghalaya.

He was among the group of people from across North East India who took part in the consultations and planning committee that led to the creation of the Foundation for Social Transformation. FST was registered under the Societies Registration Act 1860 in December 2005, on 27 December, and is a philanthropic organisation conceived, led and managed by people from the region to support grassroots initiatives across the North Eastern states. The organisation's own founding members page lists him among its founders, alongside Jayanta Madhab, Joshomayee Devi, Sukhendu Debbarma, Sanamani Yambem, Darilyn Syiem and Monisha Behal.[2][3][4][5]

Foundation for Social Transformation

FST, started in 2005, is a not-for-profit philanthropic organisation conceived and led by people from Northeast India to support progressive grassroots initiatives across Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Tripura.

Foundation for Social Transformation reports the following, on its own site: