Purno A'gitok Sangma The Buoyant Leader from Meghalaya Was A Man of A Multi-Faceted Personality

Purno A'gitok Sangma  

The Buoyant Leader from Meghalaya Was A Man of A Multi-Faceted Personality 

VOLUME-XII ISSUE-09, APRIL 2016 MAGAZINE Page No: 5-13

Thousands bid tearful farewell to former Lok Sabha speaker, union minister and chief minister of Meghalaya, as his remains were laid to rest on 7^th March 2016 at his hometown Tura, the district headquarters of West Garo Hills. He was 68.

Despite hailing from a small state, he rose to prominence at the national level in various capacities. It is true indeed to the statement of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on P. A. Sangma as "a self-made leader whose contribution towards the development of the North East is monumental” and nobody will deny on the comment of Sonia Gandhi when she said “The nation had lost a tall leader and the North East had lost an important voice.”

Purno Agitok Sangma was born on 1st September 1947 in the village of Chapahati in the picturesque West Garo Hills District of the State of Meghalaya in North East India. Growing up with poor widowed mother in the small tribal village, young Sangma realised early in life that he would have to struggle hard to rise in life. Inspired by his mother who inculcated in him the values of diligence, humility and honesty, he learnt that education was the only way to progress in life. After completing his graduation from St. Anthony's College, he went to Dibrugarh University in Assam for his Masters degree in International Relations. Subsequently, he also obtained a degree in Law.

Ever charming and smiling, P A Sangma was a man of masses, a friend of the downtrodden and poor and a vibrant personality, gifted with wit and humour who could win over both friends and foes in no time. He was also a man of many roles, having been, in the course of his career, a lecturer, a lawyer and a journalist before he joined politics that took him to places. Thus from a humble beginning in a small tribal village in Meghalaya, he rose to the high-ranking office of the Speaker of the Lok Sabha by sheer dint of his merit, determination and hard work. He was a man who dared to live his dreams and whose agendas were real and focused by demonstrating his ability, dreams and determination to be great, rightly equipped with a vision, mission and determination.

Apart from his native Garo language and English, Sangma was multilingual, with good proficiency in Hindi, Assamese and Bengali. Known for his meticulous homework, complete mastery of the subject at hand and phenomenally long memory for facts and details, Sangma was one Minister who could reply to a heated debate in Parliament without the aid of officials' slips from the Officers' Gallery. His amiability, thorough knowledge of the functioning of his Ministry and an inimitable sense of humour enabled him to tackle all challenges in Parliament. Throughout his Ministerial tenure, he retained the image of an honest and conscientious executive and always steered clear of any controversy.

Sangma has been closely associated with various social organisations and educational institutions. He was the Editor of a Meghalaya daily, Chandambeni Kalrang. He has also edited two volumes of the book India in ILO. Sangma received the Michael John Roll of Honour of the Tata Workers' Union for "Distinguished Contribution to the Cause of Labour and to the Parliamentary System" in March 1997. He also received from the President of India in May 1997 the Golden jubilee Award of the Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC) for outstanding contribution to the cause of the working class.

Sangma, undoubtedly, had all the credentials for the august office—legal training, long experience as a parliamentarian as well as a Minister, reputation for impartiality, transparency, humility and wit and wisdom.

A Humble Political Journey

Sangma with his never-say-die spirit struggled his way up the political ladder. Despite being a tribal, he never played his minority community card to get political mileage. His entire political career was a struggle to bridge the gap between the tribals and the non-tribals. Sangma was a nine-time member of Lok Sabha and the Speaker in the 11th Lok Sabha. He had also held important portfolios in the Central government. He was also the Chief Minister of Meghalaya from 1988 to 1990 and Leader of Opposition in the assembly from 1990 to 1991.

In the year 1970, he started his political life as a worker of the Congress Party and his rise through the ranks of the Party has been phenomenal. In 1974, he became the General Secretary of the Meghalaya Pradesh Youth Congress; he also remained its Vice-President for some time. In recognition of his commitment to the party's ideals and also taking into account his organisational skills, he was appointed the General Secretary of the Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee in 1975 and held that post till 1980.

Sangma eventually rose up in the ranks of the central party committee and held important portfolios, including commerce and supply and home ministry as a minister of state. He entered into the national political scenario in 1977 when the country was preparing for the sixth General Elections. He was elected for his first term in Lok Sabha from the Tura constituency in his home State on the Congress ticket. The 30-year-old Sangma entered the threshold of Parliament at a time when the nation was witnessing a major political change with the Congress Party losing power at the Center for the first time since Independence. It was an appropriate moment for a budding parliamentarian to make his mark and the articulate Sangma made full use of the opportunity to make an impact as a sincere and hard-working member.

In less than two years, national politics came a full turn and the Janata Party went out of office. The Charan Singh Government which assumed office subsequently lasted but a few months. In the mid-term elections of 1980, the Indira Gandhi led Congress Party returned to power at the Centre. Sangma was re-elected to the Lok Sabha from the same constituency.  

In the party organisation too, Sangma moved up fast and became the Joint Secretary of the All India Congress Committee in 1980, before he was inducted into the Union Cabinet and assumed the office of the Deputy Minister in charge of Industry in November 1980. Many remember him or his contribution as industry minister who boosted cement production in the country.  After two years, he shifted to the Ministry of Commerce as Deputy Minister and held that post till December 1984.

Sangma was returned to the Eighth Lok Sabha in the General Elections of 1984. Recognising his potential and dedication to the Congress ideals, the then Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi inducted him into his Cabinet, this time as a Minister of State holding charge of Commerce and Supply. When he held the post of commerce minister, he introduced plantation crops for export in the northeast.  For a short while, he also functioned as the Minister of State for Home Affairs. Sangma took over as the Minister of State for Labour with Independent Charge in October 1986. Always agreeable to reason and pacifying in attitude, Sangma, however, was uncompromising when it came to safeguarding the fundamentals of national interests.  It was no wonder then that during his tenure as the Labour Minister, there was a sharp decline in industrial strikes and lock-outs.  

Sangma connected the people of Northeast to the rest of India and emerged as the most prominent and acceptable face in India's politics He had a remarkable understanding of the political realities of the entire North East, particularly of his home State. Though, starting 1977, he was in Delhi and busy in national politics, he never cut himself off from his roots and always kept track of political developments back home. It was this thorough understanding of the State politics which made the Congress Party leadership to requisition his services for Meghalaya in 1988. That year, he returned to Meghalaya politics, this time as the Chief Minister. He headed a 48-member Coalition Government in a tumultuous period in the State's political history.  In 1990, following the resignation of his Government, Sangma became the Leader of the Opposition in the State Legislative Assembly.

The call of the nation brought Sangma back to the Centre soon. He returned to the Lok Sabha in 1991 following the General Elections and was inducted into the Union Cabinet, this time by Prime Minister P.V. Narasimha Rao. Sangma was given the Independent Charge of the Ministry of Coal. When he was coal minister, he turned his department into a profit-making enterprise. In February 1992, he was given the additional responsibility of assisting the Prime Minister in the Ministry of Labour. In the context of the Economic Reforms and Liberalisation Policy announced by the Union Government, his principal challenge was to sell the idea of economic reforms to a restive and apprehensive labour force. Tirelessly presiding over tri-partite Industrial Committee meetings, he made tenacious efforts at convincing the labour of the inevitability of economic reforms. He emphasised the need for a new Management and Work Culture, the hallmark of which was generation of wealth through efficiency, productivity and modernisation and sharing of wealth equitably.

Sangma assumed the Independent Charge of the Ministry of Labour in January 1993. He was elevated to the Cabinet rank (the first tribal to be elevated as such) in the Ministry of Labour in February 1995. When he took charge of the labour ministry, he initiated social security measures such as pension and wages schemes for industrial and unorganized sector workers. As the Union Labour Minister, he headed the Tripartite Indian Delegation to the International Labour Conference in Geneva six times where he proved his mettle repeatedly. He was also elected the Chairman of the Asia and Pacific Region for the International Labour Ministers' Conference, 1994-95. When foreign investors had just begun to favour India as their destination and a furore was raised in some quarters over the so-called 'social clause' issue, Sangma, as Labour Minister, organised a Conference of Labour Ministers from Non-aligned and other Developing Countries in 1994-95. He brought about unanimity amongst them to hold the position that the leverage of international trade should not be used in respect of social issues like labour standards as that would be coercive.

In September 1995, Sangma took over as the Minister of Information and Broadcasting, the post he held till the General Elections to the Eleventh Lok Sabha. As information and broadcasting minister, he worked for liberalized usage of airwaves and investments in the electronic media.  As a parliamentarian, Sangma, by virtue of his interest as well as the offices he held, was active in several Committees. He was a member of the Committee on Subordinate Legislation, Committee on Communications and Committee on Government Assurances and Chairman of the Parliamentary Consultative Committees on Labour, Coal and Communications.

Sangma was elected to the Lok Sabha for the fifth time from the Tura constituency in the 1996 General Elections. On 23 May 1996, he was unanimously elected the Speaker of the Eleventh Lok Sabha with universal support cutting across all political parties. In half a century of Indian parliamentary history, he was the first member from the Opposition to hold the office of the Speaker.

         (Reference Courtesy: Lok Sabha website)

The Bad Turn

Sangma hit the headlines in 1999 when he, along with Sharad Pawar and Tariq Anwar, broke off from the Congress and founded the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), for raising the banner of revolt against Sonia Gandhi over her foreign origin issue. But Sangma did not get along well with Pawar and left the NCP in 2004 and merged his faction with Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress, forming the Nationalist Trinamool Congress, from which he was elected to Lok Sabha that year. Two years later, he resigned from his Lok Sabha seat on October 10, 2005 as a member of All India Trinamool Congress and was re-elected as NCP candidate on February 2006.

In 2008, he quit the Lok Sabha and took part in Meghalaya Legislative Assembly. On June 20, 2012, Sangma submitted his resignation from the NCP after opposition from Sharad Pawar over his presidential candidature.

Four years later, Mr. Sangma resigned from NCP on 20th June 2012 after Sharad Pawar objected over his Presidential candidature against Pranab Mukherjee. Mr. Sangma's candidature was supported by AIADMK, BJd and BJP. On June 21, the BJP declared PA Sangma as it official candidate for the presidential poll slated on July 19. Mr. Sangma after losing against Pranab Mukerjee formed National People's Party (NPP) on national level on 5th of January 2013 and returned to Lok Sabha in 2014. The party managed to get two seats in the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly Election 2013. However he never lost a single election, whether for the Lok Sabha or the state assembly and was MP for nine terms with brief spell in state politics during 1988-90 and 2008-12.

As Speaker of Lok Sabha: 

“Sangma Won the Admiration of Both the Ruling Coalition and the Opposition”

In the year 1996, the Eleventh Lok Sabha unanimously elected a member from the Opposition, Shri P.A. Sangma, as the Speaker. He was just 49 at the time. This marked of being the first unanimously elected Speaker, the first Speaker from the Opposition, and the first from a Scheduled Tribe as well as the first Christian to become a cabinet minister at the Centre in 1995. Sangma was known for his wittiness and light-hearted nature. He undoubtedly, had all the qualifications for the dignified office on legal training, long experience as a parliamentarian as well as a Minister, reputation for impartiality, transparency, humility and wit and wisdom.

Affable, friendly and more often informal in disposition and endowed with a spontaneous sense of wit and humour, but firm when it came to ensuring orderly conduct of the House, Speaker Sangma had a charming personality which won him unstinted cooperation from all shades of political opinion represented in the Lok Sabha. His quest for maintaining decorum, dignity and autonomy of the House with meticulous impartiality, earned him approbation nationwide.

From the time he assumed the office of the Speaker, he executed his responsibility with such flair and assurance, it seemed that expertise of the job came to him instinctively. He had a unique approach to parliamentary reforms. As a Speaker, he ensured that rules were observed by the members even in the midst of stormy debates. Parliamentary democracy, he observed, meant free debate, objective deliberations and healthy criticism and it was for the Speaker to ensure that these objectives were achieved.

Sangma was one who went beyond holding the balance between the Treasury and the Opposition benches to holding the balance of every individual member. Speaker Sangma won the admiration of both the ruling Coalition and the Opposition within a short span of time. He also displayed a tremendous sense of timing and history when he took laudable initiatives towards facilitating greater partnership between men and women in politics and in stressing the importance of ethics and probity in public life. With this in view, during his Speakership, he guided the formation of a Standing Joint Parliamentary Committee on Empowerment of Women and also the constitution of a Joint Parliamentary Committee for considering the Constitution (Eighty-first Amendment) Bill, 1996 which sought to provide for 33-1/3 per cent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and the State Legislative Assemblies.  

In order to maintain high traditions in parliamentary life, Sangma believed, members of Parliament were expected to maintain standards of conduct, both inside the House and outside. He was of the considered view that the ethical values that ought to permeate the legislative, the executive and the judicial wings of the constitutional system had a deep and lasting Impact on the character, direction, credibility and future of democratic governance. During Sangma's tenure as Speaker, in a move which won encomiums from all quarters, an 8-member Study Group of the Committee of Privileges was constituted to report on Ethics and Standards in Public Life, The Study Group's report was considered by the Committee of Privileges and adopted with some amendments. The report was later presented to the Twelfth Lok Sabha.

Another major initiative taken by Speaker Sangma was the convening of a Special Session of both the Houses of Parliament from 26 August to 1 September 1997 as part of the Golden Jubilee Celebrations of India's Independence. The Session took stock of the achievements and also set a National Agenda for the future. Opening the Special Session, for the first time in the Indian parliamentary history, the Speaker addressed the House and stressed the need for a second freedom struggle—"freedom from our own internal contradictions, between our prosperity and poverty, between the plenty of our resource endowments and the scarcity of their prudent management, between peace and tolerance and the current conduct sliding towards violence, intolerance and discrimination".

As Speaker, Sangma led the Indian Parliamentary Delegations to the 42nd and 43rd Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Conferences in Kuala Lumpur in August 1996, and in Port Louis in September 1997, respectively. He also led the Indian Parliamentary Delegations to the 96th Inter-Parliamentary Union Conference in Beijing in September 1996 and the 98th Conference in Cairo in September 1997. Sangma also headed the Indian Parliamentary Delegation to the Second Conference of the Association of SAARC Speakers and Parliamentarians held in Islamabad in October 1997. He chaired the Inter-Parliamentary Specialised Conference of the IPU on "Towards Partnership between Men and Women in Politics" hosted by the Indian Parliament in New Delhi in February 1997. The first ever Conference of the Chairmen and Members of the Public Accounts Committees of SAARC Parliaments was also held in New Delhi in August 1997 during his eventful tenure.

Sangma was an extremely popular Presiding Officer, respected for his knowledge of rules and even more for his innate understanding of parliamentary traditions. He was equally at his best outside the House.  He participated in many social gatherings and intellectual interactions organised by activist groups with great enthusiasm, guided objective and non-partisan debates on national issues and added a new social and public dimension to the office of the Speaker.

Sangma is a multi-faceted personality. His concern for decorum, freedom and dignity of the House earned him the reputation of an outstanding parliamentarian. What, however, made Sangma acceptable to political parties of all shades, as a Speaker, was his ability to earn the confidence of people on both sides of the House. His abiding concern for the underprivileged and his tireless endeavors to eradicate poverty and remove socio-economic inequalities has endeared him to the masses. Indeed, he is a man of the masses with an international standing. It is the human side of Sangma which has brought him a large number of friends amongst the people at large.

In a short span of less than two years, Sangma left an indelible impress of his personality on the office of the Speaker of the Lok Sabha. His cherubic face, hearty laugh, quick wit, boundless enthusiasm, impeccable demeanour and earthy wisdom made him a household name, with people from all over the country showering compliments for the rare skill with which he conducted the proceedings of the House. In the media too, his tenure as Speaker was highly appreciated. 

The General Elections of 1998 saw Sangma returning to the Lok Sabha once again and was one of the most articulate and dignified speakers in the Opposition benches, listened to by all with respect and attention.

                                                                                                            (Reference Courtesy: Lok Sabha website)

Adieu 

to Purno Agitok Sangma

Visma Kumar Thapa

Former Lok Sabha Speaker and one of the most eminent names when it came to representing the tribal population and the North Eastern states in the Indian Parliament, Purno Agitok Sangma passed away of a massive heart attack at his Delhi residence on 4th of March. He was a hero and an idol of many. His demise came as a shock for the Northeast with leaders cutting across party lines describing it as an irreparable loss to the country in general and the region in particular. The news of his death was broken by Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, who made obituary reference to him and adjourned the house till March 8, as a mark of respect.  Later deviating from normal practice, the  Rajys Sabha too was adjourned till March 8  after lunch as a mark of respect and for members to pay homage to Sangma, whose body was to be taken to his home in Meghalaya. Breaking the news of Sangma’s demise during the ongoing budget session of the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly, Speaker, Abu Taher Mondal said, “One of the stalwarts of this House who is also a member of the Lok Sabha passed away this morning in New Delhi.” The Speaker also adjourned the first day of the budget session of the Assembly till the day of Sangma’s funeral so that all Members of the House could attend the same.

The 95 year old missionary Rev. Fr Giovanni Battista Busolin, an inspirational Catholic Italian missionary who shaped the former’s date with destiny said “When I heard the news of his sudden passing away, I felt that God had made a mistake. I should have been taken first. I am 95 years old. It was a very sad moment,” Terming the late Sangma as a leader of international repute, Fr Busolin termed him as a welcoming leader who extended a helping hand to everyone who called on him, irrespective of whichever religion they may have belonged to. “He was a true Christian because he helped everybody,” said Fr Busolin.

Sangma is survived by wife Sorodini and sons Conrad, a former finance minister in Meghalaya, James, a sitting MLA, and daughters Agatha and Christie. Agatha was the youngest minister in Manmohan Singh's ministry when she was inducted in 2009.

His body was brought to his native place at Tura by a special Indian Air Force aircraft from Delhi to Assam’s Guwahati International Airport and there from it was flown to Tura in West Garo Hills district in an IAF MI-17 helicopter. DoNER Minister Jidendra Singh and his cabinet colleague Kiren Rijiju and former union water resources minister Vincent Pala  along with  Sangma’s family members accompanied the casket from New Delhi, whereas Meghalaya Governor V Shanmuganathan joined them at Guwahati. Later, Union Sports Minister Sarbananda Sonowal joined them at the Borjhar airport en route to Tura. At the Tura airport and along the way till his house, thousands of people gathered to have a glimpse of the deceased leader.

Before the departed leader's body was taken to the stadium for the state function, a short prayer service was held at his residence at Wakbakgre, where the Governor, the Union ministers, other visiting officials and all the family members and friends including Bishop Andrew R Marak of the Catholic Tura Diocese and faithfuls took part to pay homage to departed leader. Paying his tributes, Governor Shanmuganathan said Sangma was the embodiment of the best qualities of a politician and likened his towering personality to that of the Himalayas. “Sangma was the first politician from northeast who was the face of the region and championed the cause of his people and the entire northeast. He has connected us to rest of India,” he said. The Governor also called upon the family members and the people to carry forward and realize the dream of the late leader, particularly for creating employment to all the unemployed youths of the region.

Union Minister of State, DoNER, Singh, who was moved to witness thousands of sympathisers along the streets waiting to have a last look at their leader, said it was “unusual”. “He is an “iconic figure” and a “role model” for all of us in the parliament. Ever since I became DoNER minister I have been in touch with Sangmaji seeking his guidance on how to initiate developmental works in northeast,” Singh said. “Sangma played a crucial role in bringing North East to the mainstream. He was a role model for other parliamentarians in conduct of the House,” Singh said

Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Kiren Rijiju, who had come down to Tura to pay the last tributes on behalf of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has referred to Sangma as the first political face of North East. “We have learned a lot from PA Sangma saheb. Cutting across political ideologies, he gave ideas for development of northeast and always worked for the people. We have not forgotten his ideas; we will always work to fulfill his unfinished tasks,” Rijiju said

Afterward the Meghalaya police personnel brought the casket carrying the mortal remains of the strongman of Northeast politics fondly called as “King of the Garos” Purno Agitok Sangma to the stadium from his residence for the state funeral that was accorded full state honours, including a 21-gun salute at Dikki Bandi stadium at Tura, his political bastion. Thousands from different walks of life assembled at the funeral venue to pay respects and bid farewell to their beloved leader who was their voice for over four decades.

Meghalaya Speaker AT Mondal, Chief Minister Dr. Mukul Sangma, his cabinet colleagues and parliamentary secretaries, Nagaland Speaker Chotisuh Sazo, former Nagaland chief minister and Lok Sabha MP Neiphiu Rio, former union minister Arvind Netam, Meghalaya opposition leader, Donkupar Roy, former Meghalaya chief minister DD Lapang, former Manipur chief minister Radhabinod Koijam were amongst thousands who took part in the funeral rituals.

Speaking at the state funeral function at PM Stadium in Tura before his mortal remains were laid to rest, Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma described Purno A Sangma as a great political personality, who was able to link Meghalaya, north- eastern region and the country with the rest of the world. "The country, Northeast and Meghalaya will always remember his contribution," the chief minister said while describing him as a man of the masses. Mukul recollecting his association with the departed leader said, “Voice has fallen silent but his (Sangma) deeds will always be remembered. He has been an inspiration to many young politicians. He has taught us pull and pushes of political challenge”. He also said that the departed leader was instrumental in connecting Northeast to the rest of the country and the world. “He has

enlightened me in politics. We will all miss him and his work will always inspire us”, said the chief minister.

Member of Lok Sabha from Shillong, Vincent Pala who represented the Northeast MP Forum said Purno A Sangma was the first tribal to become the Speaker of the Lok Sabha and he would be remembered as a man who could run the Parliament with a smile. The Leader of Opposition of the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly and former chief minister, Donkupar Roy expressed appreciation how Mr Sangma had asked him to take over the reins as the chief minister of Meghalaya.

Recollecting Sangma contribution as the tallest leader of the country former Nagaland chief minister and Lok Sabha  MP Neiphiu Rio, speaking on behalf on Northeast MPs Forum said, “He (Sangma) fought for his commitment till his last. He was the pride of Northeast and the tribal people of the country. His legacy will remain with us all times to come, we will always feel his presence”.

Former union minister  Arvind Netam felt that Sangma should reborn in Tura and work for Garo hills and the nation, while while former Manipur CM Radhabinod Koijam felt that Sangma should be born in mainstream India, so that he can impact more for this great nation through his “innovative” and “progressive” philosophies.

In words of the various dignitaries, Sangma's death has brought an end to an era of politics in Garo hills. All the speakers referring their association with Sangma branded him as the man of masses, a friend of the downtrodden and poor. They recalled Sangma's contribution and paid glowing tributes, speaking of his conviction and commitment and the irreparable loss and vacuum that had been created by his sudden demise.

Member of Lok Sabha from Shillong, Vincent Pala who represented the Northeast MP Forum terming Sangma as a “political titan” said, “His concern for the Northeast will be cherished and all MPs from the region will champion all his issues”.

The Leader of Opposition of the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly and former chief minister, Donkupar Roy felt that someone from his family should take the mantle and fulfill the unfinished task, which Sangma had dream for Meghalaya and Garo hills in particular.

Speaking on behalf of the bereaved family, Sangma's youngest daughter and former union minister Agatha K. Sangma expressed her gratitude for the public support during their moment of loss and said she was thankful to the Almighty "for giving us a father like P.A. Sangma"..

Later, Meghalaya police personnel handed over the folded national flag to Sangma's wife Soradini, who was accompanied by Conrad, Sangma's youngest son, a former cabinet minister of Meghalaya. His mortal remains were then taken around for a procession through the streets of Tura, which was witnessed by thousands, who thronged the 8 km stretch road from Dikki Bandi stadium to Cathedral Church at RC Road. After the prayer service at the Cathedral, the mortal remains of  P A Sangma were laid to rest  at the cemetery near the Bishop House.

A historical era in the politics of northeastern India came to an end when the mortal remains of Purno A'gitok Sangma was laid to rest.

 

Cutting Across Party Lines, Leaders across the Spectrum Offered Condolences

Cutting across party lines, leaders from across the northeast mourned the demise of the region's tallest leader and former Lok Sabha Speaker Purno A Sangma. An emotional Chief Minister Mukul Sangma, whose political career was shaped by P A Sangma himself, said he is ‘perturbed and deeply grieved’ the loss of a leader in the capacity of P A Sangma. The Meghalaya assembly has been witness to fierce verbal duels between the two, but while paying rich tribute to the memory of his original political mentor, Purno A'gitok Sangma, chief minister Mukul Sangma broke down in the House on the first day of the budget session.

"It is not possible for me to speak," a tearful Mukul told speaker Abu Taher Mondal, midway into his obituary reference, after moving a resolution expressing grief, on behalf of the House, over the death of the sitting MP from the Tura Lok Sabha seat. An inconsolable CM sat down wiping his tears before rising again to say, "He was a great son of the soil, who had made my tribe known to the country and the world." "I was in school at that time. He was a student of my parents and he would never fail to visit our house to pay respect to them," he recalled. “No leader from this part of the country has achieved this extra-ordinary innings in political and public life. The death of the great leader has created a vacuum. In the near future I do not know whether any leader will be able to reach that level. And it is a great loss particularly for my people of Garo Hills,” the chief minister said this in tears and sat down by stating that he would not be able to speak further.

Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi said Sangma strode like a colossus on the political firmament spanning over several decades and worked relentlessly for the development of Meghalaya, in particular, and the northeast, in general. "A nationalist to the core and a man for all seasons, I had met him on umpteen occasions when he was a Congress leader for many years and during his eventful stint as the LS Speaker," he said. 

Nagaland CM T R Zeliang said, "What can I say about a person who taught me in school when I was a student of Don Bosco High School, Dibrugarh in 1971, and who later became a mentor, a colleague in Parliament. He was pleasantly surprised when I became an MP in 2004 and said he was proud that one of his students had joined him in Parliament."

Former Manipur CM Radhibinod Koijam, who was associated with Sangma for three decades, was shocked to hear the news. "His demise is a great loss to the country, particularly the northeast," he said. The Manipur assembly on Friday condoled the passing away of Sangma and MLAs observed a two-minute silence as a mark of respect to the departed soul. Manipur chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh said Sangma's demise is a great loss of the country. Cutting across ideologies, politicians of Tripura mourned the veteran politician's death. 

In his condolence message to former Union Minister of State Agatha Sangma, daughter of the veteran leader, Arunachal Pradesh CM Kalikho Pul said “with profound grief, I on behalf of the people of Arunachal write to share the grief of losing a true son of the soil, a patriot, a veteran politician of all time, and a man who led from the front and left behind a legacy to cherish. In his demise, we have lost a great leader, a tall political figure who served the country in different capacities. Besides, proving his calibre in governance by holding the helms of Meghalaya as Chief Minister, the Congress and later Nationalist Congress Party and National People’s Party stalwart went on becoming the first North-eastern to hold the coveted chair of Speaker of Lok Sabha” Pul wrote.

Political leaders across the spectrum offered condolences on his death. Expressing deep grief over Mr Sangma's death, the speaker Mahajan said “A man of masses, Sangma strove relentlessly for the amelioration of the marginalised sections," and further added that he knew how to run the House with a smile and "I learnt this from him."

President Mukherjee said, “Sangma was a veteran Parliamentarian and able administrator who served the nation in different spheres. In the passing away of Shri Sangma, the nation has lost an eminent public figure and multi-faceted personality.” Condoling over the death of Sangma, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted, “Shri PA Sangma was a self-made leader whose contribution towards the development of the Northeast is monumental. Shri PA Sangma’s tenure as Lok Sabha Speaker is unforgettable. His down to earth personality and affable nature endeared him to many. Sangmaji was deeply influenced by Netaji Bose. Here’s a programme both of us attended in 2012 on Azad Hind Fauj,”

Congress president Sonia Gandhi in a release said, “The nation had lost a tall leader and the North East had lost an important voice.” Former Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh said that the nation has lost one of the tallest leaders from north-east. Similarly Sonia Gandhi, putting aside bitterness, while

Union Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports, Sarbananda Sonowal, expressed grief at the sudden demise of P.A. Sangma. In his condolence message, Sonowal said Sangma was a ‘Pole Star’ in the vast expanse of Indian politics. “A strong promoter of value-based politics, his name will be ever remembered for bringing the issues and concerns of the North-East into the national spotlight,” Sonowal also added that the new generation should follow his example and work towards a progressive society.

Sharad Pawar with whom joined hands against the Congress and co-founded the NCP, wrote in his micro-blogging site, “PA Sangma (was a) vibrant, dedicated parliamentarian and effective speaker. My close companion! Champion of the northeast issues”

Analysts feel that Sangma’s demise has left a political void, especially from the north-east region, which will be difficult to fill. He will be most remembered as a dynamic, linguist Lok Sabha speaker (1996-98).

Editorial

Articulate and Candid: Purno Agitok Sangma

Leaders from across the northeast mourned the demise of former Lok Sabha Speaker Purno Agitok Sangma. The 68-year-old politician, who was elected nine times to Lok Sabha from Tura in Meghalaya and who became the first Speaker from the North East, died in New Delhi following a massive heart attack.

Despite hailing from a small state, he rose to prominence at the national level in various capacities and his name is familiar to every Indian. He gave the region a place of pride in the Indian polity and became the first speaker from the North East. Sangma with his never-say-die spirit struggled his way up the political ladder, going on to become the presidential candidate in 2012 although he knew that he was up against a difficult rival.

Sangma was an outstanding parliamentarian who served as Lok Sabha Speaker, Chief Minister of Meghalaya and Union Minister holding various portfolios during his long political career  like; the post of Union Industry Minister where he improved the production potential of the Cement Industry to the point of self sufficiency. As a Coal Minister, he turned it into a profit generating enterprise. As Commerce Minister, he introduced plantation crops for export in areas of the North-East India. As Labour Minister he began social security measures in the Indian economy and introduced pension and wages schemes for industrial workers and unorganized labour sector. As Minister of Information and Broadcasting, he worked for liberalized usage of airwaves and investments in the electronic media. As a Speaker, he guided Parliamentary Committees and created a group to report on Ethics and Standards in Public Life

Considered by many as the tallest north-eastern leader, Sangma was a delightful communicator who could be remarkably frank and modest, engaging his listeners with insightful story and warm jokes. His down to earth personality and with his pleasant and amiable persona, he won the admiration of all, exceeding political barriers. His tireless work for the underprivileged, articulate oratory interspersed with wit, and ethical standards as a parliamentarian will remain imprinted on the level of time.

Though Sangma have had both successful and unsuccessful periods in the past political history, he was never defeated in his political career and his commitment to the integration of the marginalized North East to the Indian mainstream was complete. He was one of the most eminent names when it came to representing the tribal population and the North Eastern states in the Indian Parliament, and was a hero and an idol of many.

His journey from far off Meghalaya to the power rank of Delhi is in itself a testimony to his political will and wisdom. He was a different kind of politician who was articulate and candid. His sudden passing away is indeed a great loss to India's political arena and has cast a gloom, particularly for the people of north -east. A large number of tributes followed his death

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