Bonily Khongmen
Bonily Khongmen (25 June 1912 – 17 March 2007) was an Indian politician in the Indian National Congress Party. She was elected to the Lok Sabha, lower house of the Parliament of India from the Autonomous District constituency Assam in 1952. She was a member of the 1st Lok Sabha.She was also the Deputy Speaker in Assam assembly. Early life and career. Khongmen was educated at Welsh Mission Girls' High School, Shillong, and Diocesan College, Calcutta. Between 1932 and 1946, she worked in education, as headmistress of Golaghat Girls' School (1932–33), Assamese Girls School, Shillong (1935-1940), and  Lady Reid School, Shillong (1940-1946). Political career. In 1946, Khongmen participated in the provincial elections to the Assam legislative assembly, contesting and winning the Shillong reserved seat, which was then part of Assam. She was subsequently elected as the Deputy Speaker of the Assembly, the first woman to serve in that position. Khongmen contested the first Lok Sabha election in 1951 from the Autonomous District constituency of Assam. She won the election with 54% of the vote, defeating Wilson Reade of the KJD who was runner-up with 30% of the votes. Other career. After serving as an MP  in the first Lok Sabha, Khongmen served as the first female Chairperson of the Assam Public Service Commission. Personal life. She played the violin, and took an interest in spinning and weaving clothes, collecting books, gardening, reading, and knitting.