SHILLONG: Hoping Stone Lyngdoh cycled James Sangma, the son of Tura MP and former Lok Sabha Speaker PA Sangma, to school in Delhi.
This is the most memorable moment Sangma cherishes when he recollects his association with the late leader.
Taking James to the school in Delhi in bicycle was almost a daily routine for the late HSPDP leader when he was staying in the same VP House in Delhi with PA Sangma who along with Lyngdoh were elected from Tura and Shillong respectively to Lok Sabha in 1977 for the first time.
“Bah Hoping was fond of Conrad and James. He used to take James in a bicycle to St Columbus School in Delhi. After we were elected as MPs, we used to stay in the same VP House, Hoping Stone in the room number 120 of first floor and me in 220 in the second floor. When my family was not there, Hoping used to stay in my room and we used to talk for hours”, Sangma recollected.
The former Lok Sabha Speaker narrated another incident when HS Lyngdoh broke the entire door of his room after the Central Public Works (CPW) personnel did not turn up to repair it even after several reminders. “When the CPW people finally came, they were shocked to see this and they started shivering”, Sangma said with his characteristic laughing style.
Yet again an interesting episode as narrated by Sangma: “Both of us were new in Delhi. For a short period, we were staying in Meghalaya House, Delhi. We wanted to walk back from the Parliament House to Meghalaya House. But even after three hours of walking, we could not find Meghalaya House!”
Beyond these memories, Sangma said that the late leader was thoroughly an honest man and fully committed to the cause of the tribals.
“His continuous effort to sustain the Hill State movement was tremendous. He did not accept he sub state with Assam. So he broke away from APHLC and formed HSPDP and continued his movement for a fullfledged state”, Sangma said.
According to Sangma, he was not even satisfied with Meghalaya State and he started championing the cause for a separate Khasi-Jaintia state.
“Last time when I met him at AIIMS , Delhi, He asked me why we should get 40% each reservation and why not 100% indicating his desire to pursue further the demand for separate states for Khasis and Garos”, Sangma said, adding that he was not against the suggestion.
