SHILLONG, March 5: Members of the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly on Friday remembered several politicians, including state Congress MLAs David Nongrum and Azad Zaman, who passed away over the past few months.
The House had a solemn atmosphere with the two chairs of Nongrum and Zaman lying vacant as members from both ruling and Opposition recalled them having spoken from their heart on issues concerning the people of the state.
Apart from the two young leaders, the House remembered former Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, former MLAs of the state, D.N. Joshi and Edward Kurbah, and senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel, among others.
Condoling the demise of Nongrum and Zaman, Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma in his obituary reference recalled how most members of the House couldn’t digest the news of their death.”David was liked by everyone. I have fond memories of him. I’ve always remembered him to be a jolly person. It was a great shock to me and a great loss for his constituency, his family and for this august House,” the Chief Minister said.
He added that the House lost Zaman while they were still recovering from Nongrum’s death.
“He (Zaman) was a humble person and never had any air about holding an important rank. Every time we met, he was always courteous. We are shocked and saddened by his demise,” Sangma said.
The Chief Minister also remembered Gogoi, who he said was a father figure for most of them and his passing was a great loss for the north-eastern region.
Leader of the Opposition, Mukul Sangma said losing David was akin to losing a son and a brother.
“We have lost too many leaders who have been there with long innings in political life. When we heard the sad news of the sudden demise of David, we were heartbroken and it was difficult to accept the truth. I have known him even before he joined as a member of this august House,” the former Chief Minister said.
The Congress leader recalled Zaman as a promising leader from the non-tribal community. “The late Dr Azad made time for the downtrodden people. He chose Rajabala which is a difficult constituency,” he added.
Congress MLA Ampareen Lyngdoh remembered Nongrum as a representative who left behind a brief but commendable legacy. Zaman was a humble person who always stood up for the people of his constituency, she added.
Several other members including A.L. Hek, Mohendro Rapsang, George B. Lyngdoh and Adelbert Nongrum also paid their tributes to the deceased leaders.
Speaker of the Assembly, Metbah Lyngdoh said Nongrum was re-elected in 2018 because he was close to the people of his constituency and he understood the needs of the constituency.
Terming the late MLA as a dynamic legislator, the Speaker also remembered the “very young” Zaman.
“Till today, I cannot believe that he has passed away,” he said.
Later, the House observed a two-minute silence in memory of the departed leaders.