TURA, August 13: One of the last remaining members of the Hill State Movement and former Chief Executive Member of the GHADC, Binsing R Marak, has passed away in Tura Civil Hospital due to Covid infection, late last night. He was just two months away from celebrating his 100th birthday.
The nonagenarian, fondly known in Garo Hills as Naglangpa, was an elected member of the district council (MDC) for 26 long years. He was also elected to the top post of CEM in GHADC on two occasions.
Born in the remote Silkigre village of Chokpot on 31st October 1922, Late Binsing R Marak actively took part in the second world war as sector commander of the Garo Porter Corps for the allied forces in then Burma (Myanmar) during the japanese invasion from 1942 to 1945.
He was also a warden of the Tura district jail and went on to serving as a teacher in government schools of Silkigre (Chokpot) and Babelapara in Purakhasia, close to the border with Bangladesh.
His political innings began from 1947 with the then powerful regional party- Garo National Council which had joined forces with the Khasi Hills based Hills People Union (HPU) and other tribal parties to jointly fight under the banner of the All Party Hill Leaders Conference (APHLC) seeking the creation of a separate state to be carved out of Assam.
An active GNC member for well over forty long years, he plunged into political contest from Babelapara MDC seat during the second council elections in 1957.
From 1957 all the way to 1983, Binsing Raksam Marak was elected MDC and given positions of Executive Member, Deputy CEM and ultimately CEM on two occasions of his chequered political life.
A down to earth man who prefered to spend most of his retired life in the village, his failing health compelled him to return to Tura for medical attention and it was during his stay that he contracted the covid-19 infection and tragically passed away.