NEW DELHI: Former Lok Sabha Speaker Purno Agitok Sangma died of heart attack here on Friday. He was 68.
Parliament sources said the end came this morning. Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan announced the news of his death in the House, which was adjourned for the day. While expressing deep grief over Sangma’s passing away, Mahajan said he knew how to run the House with a smile and “I learnt this from him.” “A man of masses, Sangma strove relentlessly for the amelioration of the marginalised sections,” she said.
Condoling the death of Sangma, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was “a self-made leader whose contribution towards the development of the Northeast is monumental. Sangma’s tenure as Lok Sabha Speaker “is unforgettable”. “His down-to-earth personality and affable nature endeared him to many,” he said, adding “Sangmaji was deeply influenced by Netaji Bose.”
Sangma was a nine-time member of the Lok Sabha and the Speaker in the 11th Lok Sabha. He had also held important portfolios in the Union Government. He was also the Chief Minister of Meghalaya from 1988 to 1990 and Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly from 1990 to 1991.
Born on 1st September, 1947 in village Chapahati in the picturesque West Garo Hills District of Meghalaya, Sangma struggled hard to rise in life.
After completing his graduation from St. Anthony’s College, he went to the Dibrugarh University in Assam for his Masters degree in International Relations. Subsequently, he also obtained a degree in Law.
A Congressman, who was one of the founding members of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), was expelled from it in July 2012 when he refused to accept his party’s decision to quit the race for India’s President. In January 2013, he formed the National People’s Party.
Leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha, Ghulam Nabi Azad has condoled sudden death of veteran political leader and former Speaker Lok Sabha, P.A Sangma. “My thoughts and prayers are with the family and his young daughter Agatha”, said Azad.
Expressing grief and shock over the sad demise of veteran politician, Azad said that his death has created a vacuum which cannot be filled so easily.
“He was a highly learned and committed political leader of the country who worked in different capacities – Union Minister, Chief Minister Meghalaya and Speaker Lok Sabha”, said Azad.
Azad prayed for the eternal peace of the departed soul and grant of strength to the bereaved family to withstand the irreparable loss.
Prof. Bhim Singh, Chief Patron of National Panthers Party mourned the demise of his great friend Sangma.
“P.A Sangma was one of the greatest Indians who was bestowed with capacity, talent, courage and humanism by the grace of God. His sudden death in New Delhi has shocked many of his old friends, colleagues as his absence from Indian political scene shall cause a great loss to the present and future political history of the country. He can be described star of the North-East where he was born and educated.”
Bhim mentioned that he met Sangma in 1973 and had privilege to work in the Secretariat of the Indian Youth Congress with Sangma for long. Singh reminded his friends about the greatness of Sangma who had wisdom, courage and commitment with the people particularly in the rural India. Bhim, while paying tributes to Sangma on his untimely, unfortunate and unexpected death, said that India has lost one of the greatest sons when the entire nation needed him most. Bhim and the Working Committee of National Panthers Party paid rich tributes to the departed soul with a prayer that Sangma shall be blessed with peace in the heaven.(PTI)