Mr Hoping Stone Lyngdoh’s demise will leave a different kind of void in Meghalaya’s political landscape. He belonged to that era where corruption was not kosher and remained true to his conscience until the very end. Hence he stood tall and was respected by the people of West Khasi Hills in particular and of the State in general. Lyngdoh’s name is associated with the Hill State People’s Democratic Party (HSPDP) which he led for several decades. Many believe that with his demise, the lion which is the symbol of the HSPDP, will no longer hold sway in West Khasi Hills. Indeed, in recent times we have witnessed the fortune of the HSPDP flagging. Perhaps it is Hoping Stone Lyngdoh’s inability to move with the times which has retarded his Party’s progress. Whether anyone agreed with him or not Mr Lyngdoh believed that uranium mining would sound the death knell of the small tribal population of Meghalaya and he could not be convinced otherwise. He stood firm with the Party that he founded and despite several attempts to bring about a united regional front, Lyngdoh always backed out from such formations either because he doubted the sincerity of the proponents of such a front or because he was not given a leadership position.
As Home Minister of Meghalaya for a brief period, Mr Lyngdoh could not achieve his dream of resolving the border disputes between Meghalaya and Assam. This also speaks of the fact that Lyngdoh had a one-track mind and was not distracted by the pursuit of personal aggrandizement. This disposition allowed him to hold his own although his fellow legislators felt that he often was obstinate beyond reason. His single-minded pursuit of the agenda for a separate Khasi-Jaintia state either shows his political naivety or his desire to make the HSPDP a different regional outfit and therefore relevant. Yet Lyngdoh never stood out as a one-man army. He carried his followers along with him. Whether this spirit of inclusiveness, consultation and inner party democracy will continue henceforth remains to be seen.