Editor,
We feel helpless at this great loss. Even as I write this and I look up to the night sky to admire it, instead all I have is a feeling of loss that is looming over the land. God has taken away the best of us tonight.
As an MP he has spoken on all the issues that his electorate has brought to bear upon him, from border security, to inclusion of Khasi in the 8th Schedule, from poor conditions of National Highways, to ILP, and every other pressing need of the day. One of his last works was to raise the issue of illegal acquisition of land by a cement company in Daistong Village, East Jaintia Hills, with the concerned Union Minister and asking for a total freeze of the environmental clearance for the same. May this last work be successful, for his legacy and for the people of Daistong village. We must ensure it as a state.
But apart from his Parliamentarian duties, he was a preacher of the Gospel. One of his last sermons was delivered in Ri Bhoi, in January, 2026.
My first meeting with him was before he became M.P. and his first words to me, even though I was yet a stranger, was about how he needs to work on his fitness more. My last encounter with him was in NEIGRIHMS, when he came to see a relative. I greeted him as we both walked to our vehicles. I still remember my last sight of him. The MP had started his scooty engine, as he was holding his helmet in his hands. As I was driving past him, he stooped a bit lower for a better view as he waved goodbye with his ever poised and disarming smile.
Today I recall his first words about wanting to work on his fitness more, and then I learned that the last thing that he did was playing football.
To his closest supporters, he was already the best M.P. because of the qualities they saw in him and they were sure he would finish his full term, and accomplish many wonderful things. But we feel we have been robbed of a great legacy because the question now is : will he ever be remembered as one of our greatest M.P.’s if he barely got to complete even 2 years of his term? Will his qualities which would have surely cemented his legacy, be forgotten in history?
God has surely taken away a real worker, both in politics and in the preaching of His word. We feel helpless at the will of God. We will miss him. He has left a void that will be hard to fill.
Yours etc.,
Kitdor H. Blah,
Shillong
When loss feels personal
Editor,
One of the most devastating news for me is that Ricky is no more. Dr. Ricky Syngkon, MP from the Shillong constituency, passed away on February 19th after a cardiac arrest. I was so close to him, and he was one of the younger politicians that I had so much hope for the welfare of the state of Meghalaya. In his short stint in the Lok Sabha, he had made an impact – he was active in raising important issues of the state in the parliament. He managed, even as a first timer, to impress Union Ministers of the failings in the various developmental projects of our state resulting in the central government taking action. We have lost a statesman, not just a politician.
I found him to be an intelligent person. I taught him while he did his Master’s in Economics, though his background was in Commerce. He then went on to do his M.Com. Ultimately he shifted from St. Edmund’s College where he taught, to join the Commerce Department of NEHU as a faculty.
His Christian faith was very strong, and he always witnessed Christ through his life, and his sermons.
Rest in peace, Ricky. May God’s comforting presence be with Wandi, Cliff, and Donnie and the spouses.
I will miss you, friend, I will!
Yours etc.,
Eugene Thomas,
Shillong -6
Life’s a fleeting blur
Editor,
Life has a strange way of humbling us. We plan in calendars, we dream in timelines, we believe in “next year” and “someday.” We assume there will be another morning, another call, another chance to say what we postponed today. Then life reminds us that nothing is guaranteed. It is our state’s profound loss that Ricky A. J. Syngkon has left for his heavenly abode so suddenly.
A distinguished academic with a Ph.D. in Economics and former Assistant Professor at North-Eastern Hill University, he stepped into public life with intellect, integrity, and quiet resolve. In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, he won the Shillong parliamentary seat as a candidate of the Voice of the People Party, marking a significant political shift in Meghalaya. As a first-time Member of Parliament in the 18th Lok Sabha, he raised issues central to the Northeast, advocating for grassroots development and the preservation of indigenous identity, including the inclusion of the Khasi language in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution. His journey reflected courage, conviction, and an unwavering commitment to his people.
A routine moment can become a memory we did not know would be the last. We promise ourselves we will express love later, forgive later, begin later. Life is unpredictable, not to frighten us, but to awaken us. To remind us that time is not a possession; it is a privilege. That health is not permanent; it is a blessing. That relationships are not eternal; they are gifts while they last. Let us live consciously, love loudly, apologise sincerely, and laugh with our whole heart. Life is but a fleeting blur between birth and death.
Yet within that fleeting blur, some lives leave a mark that time cannot erase. May we honour his memory by carrying forward the courage, dedication, and love for the land that he embodied.
Your’s etc.,
Shivani Pde,
Via email
Dr Ricky’s Demise Deprives Us of an Empathetic Listener
Editor,
About the sudden and devastating demise of our Lok Sabha Member of Parliament (MP), Dr. Ricky Andrew J. Syngkon, I am compelled to share a side of his leadership that the public may not have fully seen, his unwavering commitment to the smallest voices and the most technical of regional grievances. While the state mourns a beloved political figure, I mourn a mentor who listened. Over the past year, I had the privilege of engaging in a deep, consistent dialogue with Dr. Syngkon regarding the restoration of The North Eastern Service (NES) Of Akashvani on shortwave radio. What struck me most was not just his intellectual grasp of these complex issues, but his accessibility. Between our discussions on radio transmitters and regional radio identity, we shared moments that defined his character, warm greetings for Christmas and New Year, and his sincere wishes on my 17th birthday.
Just recently, a grievance appeal I filed was disposed of with the Ministry admitting my suggestion, regarding the stopping of the Akashvani FM Gold Delhi relay, was “practical and valuable.” I was preparing to hand this “victory” to Dr. Syngkon to raise in the Lok Sabha. His sudden departure feels like a “blackout” of the very signal we were trying to strengthen. He was the “receiver” for the technical and cultural anxieties of not just the Khasi people but others. The best way to honour his memory is to ensure that the work he was looking into, the restoration of our regional identity on the airwaves, is not buried with him.
Dr. Syngkon proved that a leader could be a PHD holder and an MP, yet still have the humility to discuss the “ghost of centralisation” with a young radio enthusiast. May his soul rest in eternal peace, and may we, the people of Shillong and beyond, carry forward the frequency of his compassion and his dedication to the truth.
Yours etc.,
Hamemanbha Lyngdoh Lawai
Via email
