REMEMBERING SANGMA, Purno Agitok Sangma

Having known him since the days he was Union Coal Minister ( that was when he befriended me),I have always known him for his healthy sense of humour and a very amiable disposition. When he became one of the finest Lok Sabha Speakers, he would have special sessions with relatively new Parliamentarians on how to conduct themselves in Parliament. Earlier, he had been Chief Minister of Meghalaya for a decade. But he more than made his presence felt on the National stage. Hardly surprising that everyone has been heaping praises on him now that he is no more. Indeed, how I wish they had understood him and his sense of humour better when he was still around. Towards the end, he was with no political party but his own. As a “politician”, he was, indeed, one of a kind.: Utpal Chatterjee*