Gitchandra Tongbra (6 February 1916 – 3 June 1996), popularly known as G. C. Tongbra, was an Indian satirist,[1] poet, playwright and art academic from Imphal.[2] Born on 6 February 1913 in the Indian state of Manipur, Tongbra was known for his socio-realistic plays such as Mani Manou (1962), Matric Pass (1964) and Upu Baksi (1972).[3][4]
The Government of India awarded him the fourth highest Indian civilian award of Padma Shri in 1975.[5] Four years later, he received the Sahitya Akademi Award for his play, Ngabongkhao, in 1978.[6] The Ministry of Culture, Government of India, honoured his memories by staging a Tongbra Drama Festival under the aegis of Ougri Theatre Repertory Manipur on 24 April 2015 which consisted of four selected plays of the dramatist.[7]