By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, JAN 25: As in life, even in his death the legendary tribal leader and former Lok Sabha speaker Purno Agitok Sangma has brought laurel to Meghalaya as he will be honored by Padma Vibhushan, the second highest civilian award in the country.
The award is in recognition for his public service
Late Sangma will be the first from Meghalaya to be conferred with the award, albeit posthumously. He died on March 4 last year in New Delhi..
This year, eighty nine individuals will be conferment with Padma awards of which seven will be Padma Vibhushan and Padma Bhushan each and 75 Padma Shri awardees.
Conrad Sangma, late Sangma’s youngest son, also a Tura Lok Sabha MP expressed his gratitude to the centre for choosing his father for the prestigious award.
“Our family is happy and honoured. We would like to thank the government of India especially Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the recognition,” Conrad said.
Late Sangma’s rise from a humble background to that of the Lok Sabha speaker in a political career spanning nearly four decades, is in itself a story comparable to the fabled from the “Wood cabin to the White House’ which has inspired many politicians and youths.
Sangma had never lost a parliamentary or a state election. He was first made Union Deputy Minister, Union Minister of State, Union Cabinet minister, Speaker of the Lok Sabha, Chief Minister of Meghalaya, and Leader of Opposition in the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly.
He started his political career with the Indian National Congress but in 1999, left the party to form the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).
Later he broke away from the NCP to form the Nationalist People’s Party (NPP) of which Conrad Sangma is the national president now.
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