Sonam Narboo

Sonam Narboo, also known as Sonam Norbu (Tibetan: བསོད་ནམས་ནོར་བུ), was an Indian engineer, administrator, and politician from Ladakh who played a pivotal role in the region's development. In recognition of his contributions, he was honoured with the Padma Shri in 1961.

Early life

Sonam Narboo was born on 27 May 1909, in Skara, a village near Leh, into a middle-class Buddhist family known as Nyachu. His parents were farmers, and Narboo was the eldest of five siblings. He completed his early education at the University of Punjab and pursued higher studies in England, earning a degree in civil engineering from the University of Sheffield in the 1930s. Under challenging conditions, with limited resources and no modern equipment, Narboo led the construction of the airstrip at one of the highest altitudes in the world. The project was completed in just three weeks and proved crucial in securing Ladakh during the tribal invasions supported by Pakistan.