THE sudden demise of PA Sangma, Meghalaya’s veteran politician and MP of Tura Lok Sabha constituency for nine terms has created a void that is difficult to fill. Sangma had attended parliament a day before he breathed his last. In a sense he passed away peacefully and without much fuss. Here was a man who put Meghalaya firmly on the map of this country. He was known for his ready wit; he could think on his feet and was never short of a sharp, incisive response when answering questions in Parliament or the State Assembly. In the State Assembly where he served briefly between 1988-1990 and 2008-2012, Sangma was a role model for younger legislators in the manner he took on the opposition and also in replying to tough questions as chief minister. Humour was his weapon and there was never any rancour in the House. These days there is hardly a light moment in the Assembly. MLAs maintain a serious demeanour and have completely dismissed moments of light hearted banter. PA Sangma was the last of those who understood that the August House is not a courtroom where laughter is banned. As Lok Sabha Speaker, PA Sangma left an indelible imprint in the minds of Indians across the country. His is the most familiar face from the North East. But Sangma was also well known and admired in South East Asia where he made goodwill visits during his ministerial tenure in the central government. As Chief Minister of Meghalaya in 1988-1990, Sangma addressed the pernicious problem of land compensation which he called ‘ridiculous.’
The money paid for land compensation far exceeded the cost of the road making projects in Meghalaya. A land mafia ensured that any government proposal for road construction was brought to their knowledge and they would then buy land at throwaway prices but would sell the same to the Government at exorbitant rates. Sangma brought an end to this nexus between politicians-bureaucrats and the land mafia and brought in a regulation where any village that wanted a road would have to donate land. This earned the ire of political rivals and even his own colleagues who quickly got together to unseat him. His was the first government to come up with a white paper on several key social sectors such as education, health etc. Earlier Meghalaya was run without a policy since its creation. It is unfortunate that these policy documents have remained in cold storage. If PA Sangma had lasted as chief minister for a full five year tenure in 1988 we would have had a Mining Policy that was robust and viable. Perhaps the contour of Meghalaya would have also been much different. Alas! The road to Meghalaya politics is treacherous and full of pitfalls. It left Sangma a bitter man who could not fulfill his cherished mission to take Meghalaya to a different and more progressive trajectory.