SHILLONG, SEPT 26: The doyen of Meghalaya politics and one of the erstwhile hills state movement leaders and Hills State People’s Democratic Movement (HSPDP) president and legislator Hopingstone Lyngdoh passed away at the wee-hour of Saturday at the Northeast Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Medical and Health Sciences (NEIGRIMHS.)
According to the NEIGRIMHS assistant professor (cardiology) Manish Kapoor, Lyngdoh- who was lovely called Maieit– passed away of cardiac arrest at around 1.30 am on Saturday. He said, “Both his lung and kidney failed as a result of which he died of cardiac arrest.” He informed that the doctors tried to resuscitate him but their attempt failed.
Lyngdoh was brought to NEIGRIMHS last Sunday in critical condition. Before that he had been admitted in Shillong Civil hospital.
Even with ill health, Lyngdoh was seen attending the first two days of the Meghalaya autumn session of the state assembly
Born in Nongliat village of West Khasi hills, Lyngdoh is said to be eight-six years old.
A doyen of Meghalaya politics, Lyngdoh was at the forefront of the hills state movement demanding a separate state from erstwhile Assam state. One of the oldest serving legislators of the state, he was first elected as an MDC is the erstwhile United Khasi and Jaintia hills district council.
In 1962 Lyngdoh was elected as an MLA in the composite Assam legislative assembly and in 1965 he launched the HSPDP with ‘Lion’ as its symbol.
A tall political figure with impeccable integrity, after Meghalaya was carved out of the two erstwhile districts- United Khasi and Jaintia hills and Garo hills districts- Lyngdoh played equally important role in Meghalaya politics.
Lyngdoh, who was the only legislator in the state to have never lost an election, continued to be an MLA and for one term he was elected Lok Sabha MP in 1977. He is also the only state legislator who elections from two assembly constituencies- Nongstoin and Pariong- in 1988.
Lyngdoh served as minister in different coalition governments formed by regional parties’ governments and became the deputy chief minister in 2008-2009.
Lyngdoh was also the first to have raised his voice against uranium mining in the state.He was opposed to mining of uranium and often raised the issue in the state assembly.
Lyngdoh was also passionate of safeguarding Meghalaya’s boundary with Assam and raise the issue of solving the vexed boundary dispute with neighbouring Assam both inside and outside the state assembly. – By Our Reporter
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