By Our Reporter
SHILLONG Former Deputy Chief Minister John Deng Pohrmen passed away at his Laitumkhrah residence (Bhagyakul) on Saturday. He was 86.
Pohrmen, who has been ailing for quite some time, is survived by his wife Margaret Rose Rapthap and four children.
His funeral will be held on Monday at the Laitumkhrah Catholic cemetery at 2 pm.
Born at Nongtalang village in War Jaintia, Pohrmen was involved in the Hill State Movement and joined active politics in the early 1960s. He was elected to the Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council (JHADC) from the All Party Hill Leaders Conference (APHLC) in 1967 and was later elevated to the post of Chief Executive Member (CEM).
In 1978, Pohrmen was elected to the state Assembly from War Jaintia constituency on the APHLC ticket and became a Cabinet minister in the “The Three Flag Government” under the Chief Ministership of Late DD Pugh.
In 1981, he joined Congress and later became president of the Jaintia Hills District Congress Committee.
He served as a cabinet minister in various coalition governments headed by (late) B.B Lyngdoh, Purno A Sangma, DD Lapang and Salseng C Marak.
In 1991, Prohmen refused to accept the proposal of the Congress legislators to take over Chief Ministership but instead proposed DD Lapang’s name. Prohmen, however, was sworn in as Deputy Chief Minister in the Lapang cabinet and continued to be the second-in-command in Congress Legislative Party till the tenure of Salseng C Marak.
A former editor of Ka Lympung Ri Lum and U Nongsain Hima, Prohmen was also served Shillong Municipal Board as a Ward Commissioner in 1955.
In fact, before joining politics, Pohrmen had served St Anthony’s High School as a teacher from 1952 to 1967.