PRESS RELEASE
(9th March, 2016)
The
North East MPs Forum held a condolence meeting at the Parliament Annexe in New
Delhi today to mourn the untimely demise of Former Lok Sabha Speaker PA Sangma.
Addressing
the condolence meeting, Sikkim Lok Sabha MP Shri Prem Das Rai,
Secretary-General of NEMPF, gave a brief account of Shri Sangma’s life and
contribution to the nation. He remarked that Shri Sangma will be remembered as
the man who ran the parliament with a smile. Nagland Lok Sabha MP Shri Neiphiu
Rio, Vice Chairman, NEMPF, also paid rich tributes to the
departed soul.
A
condolence message to mourn the death of the former Lok Sabha Speaker was read
out by Shri Rai on behalf of the Forum. A two-minute silence was observed in
the memory of the departed soul.
The
following is the text of the message that was read in the condolence meet:
*******
Condolence message by NE MPs
(Mourning
the demise of former Lok Sabha Speaker PA Sangma)
Friends,
we gather to pay our condolence and homage to one of North East India’s tallest
political leaders, Shri PA Sangma who passed away on 4th March 2016 aged 68
years. We pray for the departed soul. May his soul rest in eternal peace. May
his ever smiling demeanour, his humour and his magnanimity remain in our minds,
as a reminder of what can be achieved by hard work and staying the course
inspite of all odds.
We
also pray for Mrs. Sangma and his immediate and extended family. May God give
them the strength to overcome this terrible and untimely loss.
Purno
in many languages means complete, and Purno Agitok Sangma led a complete life.
Born on 1st September 1947 he was truly a man of Independent India.
A
political stalwart and a man of the masses, he was a nine-time member of Lok
Sabha and the Speaker in the 11th Lok Sabha from 1996-98. He also served with
distinction while leading various Ministries in the central government. As the
Chief Minister of Meghalaya from 1988 to 1990, he was instrumental in enabling
the state to achieve rapid growth. A multi-faceted personality, Sangma had been
a lecturer, a lawyer and a journalist prior to joining politics.
In
ascending the chair of the Lok Sabha Speaker, Shri Sangma achieved a string of
firsts - first to be unanimously elected as Speaker, the first from the
opposition, the youngest Speaker (at 49 years), and the first tribal. An
amiable and affable personality, he will be remembered as the man who ran the
parliament with a smile.
His
stint as Speaker saw the formation of a Standing Joint Parliamentary Committee
on Empowerment of Women. He facilitated constitution of a Joint Parliamentary
Committee for considering the Constitutional (Eighty-first) Amendment Bill
seeking to enhance the presence of women in Parliament. Perhaps his experience
of living in the matrilineal state of Meghalaya was an inspiration.
He
also was supported by the BJP/NDA as candidate for the post of President during
the elections of the electoral college in 2012 when Pranab Mukherjee was the
UPA candidate.
We,
the MPs of the North East, have had the pleasure of working closely with
Sangmaji in the North-East Members of Parliament Forum (NEMPF). Under his
Chairmanship in the 16th Lok Sabha, the NEMPF championed several issues
important to meet the aspirations of the people of the North-East region. The
forum presented a 10-point agenda highlighting proposals for the holistic
development of the region to the Prime Minister. He was a strong advocate for
building strong institutions to facilitate the development of the region.
A
political titan of the North-East and champion of development, Shri Sangma will
forever be remembered as an agent of social change and flag bearer of the idea
of India. His door was always open to the many young people who sought his guidance.
Today
the nation has lost a tall leader, and all of us a mentor and a dear friend.
Rest
in Peace.
*******
NEMPF
was first formed in 1994-95 during the 10th Lok Sabha. Shri PA
Sangma had taken the lead in its formation. Since then, NEMPF has been actively
making representations, on behalf of the people of entire North Eastern Region,
on various platforms and to constitutional bodies. For the duration of the 16th
Lok Sabha, Shri Sangma, was unanimously elected the Chair of the NEMPF while
Shri Mukut Mithi was elected as the Patron of the Forum.
Several
parliamentarians from the North-East region attended the condolence meeting.
Prominent among those who attended the meeting included: Shri Mukut Mithi, Dr.
Thokchom Meinya, Shri Jitendra Choudhury, Ms Sushmita Dev, Shri C. L. Ruala, Shri
Vincent H Pala, Shri Ronald Sapa Tlau, Shri Gaurav Gogoi, and Shri Sankar Datta.
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