TURA: “Purno Sangma was a fine gentleman and a brave heart,” recalled former chief minister and his senior Salseng C Marak of the young P A Sangma who had plunged into politics in the mid ’70s.
The young Sangma’s bravado in 1977 when he leaped into the hurly burly of electoral politics at a time when none in the Congress was willing to take on the then ruling Janata Party under prime minister Moraji Desai that was ruling the country, was made known by Salseng Marak during his condolence message to the departed leader while participating at his state funeral in Tura.
Giving a brief history of the political meeting in 1977 at the Rockside residence of the chief minister in Shillong to select a candidate for the Tura Lok Sabha seat, Salseng Marak said that none of the senior leaders were willing to take up the contest. It was then that they turned to Purno Sangma who promptly accepted the challenge.
The former chief minister stated that it is such qualities of Late P A Sangma which led him to be chosen by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi as a minister of state in the Union Government.
“When chief minister Captain Williamson Sangma went to meet Indira Gandhi and thank her for giving his nephew an opportunity to be part of the new government she replied that it was not for his request but because she found the young MP to be very bright,” revealed Salseng Marak and added that the new young leader from Garo Hills went on to contribute immensely to the development of Meghalaya and the North East region.
