Mortal remains of Assembly Speaker Dr Donkupar Roy arrives in state capital

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaJuly 29, 2019

SHILLONG: The mortal remains of state Assembly Speaker and former chief minister Dr Donkupar Roy arrived in the state capital on Monday morning. 

Roy, who was the longest serving legislator and head of the regional party, United Democratic Party, passed away after a brief illness at Medanta hospital, Gurugram on Sunday afternoon. He was 64. 

He is survived by his wife R Syiem, two sons and four daughters. 

His body was flown in from Delhi and from there it was directly brought to his official residence at Crinoline View Bungalow here in the city. 

Earlier in the morning, a host of leaders including Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma, his cabinet colleagues and leaders of MDA partners arrived at the Guwahati airport to receive the Speaker’s body. 

Governor Tathagata Roy, Leader of Opposition Mukul Sangma, political leaders, senior government officials and others came to pay their respect to the departed leader.   

His mortal remains will be taken at 1 pm tomorrow to Sohra, where the state funeral will be held on Wednesday (at 12.30 pm) before the burial at Shella, the place of his birth. 

The government has declared a state mourning for three days from today and a holiday on the funeral day. 

Talking to media persons, Governor Tathagata Roy said with the sudden demise of Dr Donkupar Roy, Meghalaya has become much poorer as he was an outstanding political leader of the state. 

“He had been in three different capacities as speaker, earlier on as chief minister and president of his party, all these three things combined in one man makes him an outstanding politician and an unusual politicians and I am quite sure see all voids eventually get filled but in some ways the void will remain in that way I commensurate not just with his family but with the people of Meghalaya also who have lost a very able leader,” the governor said while extending his deepest condolences to the bereaved family. 

Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma said it is a big loss to the state as Dr Donkupar was a father figure and a mentor to all of us. 

“At a personal level I was very closed to him. When there were situations or different things to discuss about the interest of the state, I would always confide and discuss with him. As a person I have known him to be a person who is truly committed to the people to the state and in terms of the values that he had were incomparable. He really believed in true values of leadership like commitment to the people, the trust factor and so many qualities that he had has surely made him a true leader,” he said.

“I think we will all miss him and it is a huge vacuum in one way as he was the senior most leader in the Assembly and being Speaker of the House and being the president of one of the big constituent of the MDA he had a very important role to play,” said the chief minister. 

Recalling the close association of Dr Donkupar and his late father Purno Agitok Sangma, the chief minister said, “I always saw similarity between both of them in their political way of doing things. I used to see a lot of my father’s qualities in him and he was like a father to me.” 

“It was a great loss for the state and at a personal level also it was a great loss for me. This time in grief, I pray for the members of the family I know it is a great loss to lose a loved one especially a father and I pray for the family members that God give them strength to bear this great loss and I pray to Almighty God that his sould may rest in eternal peace,” he said. 

Leader of opposition Mukul Sangma said Dr Donkupar had a unique quality and has contributed for the overall progress and prosperity of the state. 

“Again when we talk about associating and working collectively in responding to the call of duty to take care of the state affairs of governance, he can be trusted, can be dependendable so that is something which is unique and exclusive in as far as Dr Donkupar is concerned,” he said. 

Stating that a big vacuum has been created with the shocking demise of the leader,  Mukul said ramification will be there after the demise of a leader of his stature, who has been able to keep his leaders clued and who has been instrumental in various aspects of governance. 

Meanwhile, a notification was also issued by the Assembly secretariat informing that a vacancy has occurred in the Shella constituency due to the death of Dr Donkupar Roy.