SHILLONG: Late Fr. Sylvanus Sngi Lyngdoh played a crucial role in the formation of a coalition government of three regional parties in 1978 which forced the Congress which bagged 20 seats to sit in the Opposition.
The formation of experimental ‘Three Flag Government’ supported mainly by three parties, All-Party Hill Leaders’ Conference (APHLC with 16 MLAs), Hill State People’s Democratic Party (HSPDP-14), and Peoples’ Demands Implementation Committee ( PDIC-2) was decided in the presence of Catholic priest Fr. Sngi and Rev. W Manner from the Presbyterian Church, who prayed for a strong coalition government , a first in the country during a public meeting in at Malki ground convened by Meghalaya Tribal Youth Organization .
The lone Jaintia Nationalist Union (JNU) member HB Dan also supported the coalition government raising its strength to 33.
The intention to form a government of regional parties was that the people disliked Congress to form the government then.
Political leader HS Shylla, who took initiative to call the public meeting at Malki ground as the Chief Organizer of the Meghalaya Tribal Youth Organisation (MTYO) said on Monday that he meeting was called on March 1 after the Assembly election results on February 28, 1978.
While late Fr. Sngi presided over the meeting, Rev. Manner started the meeting with a prayer.
The crowd and the party members gathered there carried the flags of three political parties.
However, there was a tussle as to who will be the Leader of the coalition who will in turn become the Chief Minister.
The problem started when DD Pugh, who was fluent in Garo was elected the leader of APHLC with the support of some Garo legislators.
There was dissatisfaction on the part of BB Lyngdoh, who was also aspiring for the post.
Due to the disgruntlement, the Government under Pugh lasted only for a week.
Shylla said that finally a decision was arrived at to go for a lottery system to choose the Chief Minister and the Deputy Chief Minister.
This time too, late Fr. Sngi was approached to be a neutral person to preside over the meeting on March 9 the same year to choose Chief Minister through the lottery system.
Pugh was lucky as he got the slip of Chief Minister and SD Khongwir of HSPDP became the Deputy Chief Minister through the lottery system.
The swearing in of the Chief Minister and Council of Ministers took place on the next day on March 10.
However, the coalition ministry of the regional parties lasted only for eleven months.
Shylla said that the biggest achievement of the coalition government was that the Land Transfer Act was enacted during this regime.
