Our attention had been drawn by some individuals writing on P.A. Sangma intending candidature for the President of India. In a democratic society where freedom of expression is a right, everybody is at liberty to express his opinions and views but it should be based on facts and not assumptions. In this regards, it is felt necessary to issue this write-up in public interest and clear certain doubts and confusion.
P.A. Sangma hails from a remote village in West Garo Hills and is a Catholic by faith. He has two sons and two daughters who are highly educated, qualified and well established in their respective fields. The elder son, James, holds a Master Degree in Mass Communication from Brunel University, London and is involved in the production of documentary films. The eldest daughter, Christi, completed her Bachelor of Architecture from J.J. College of Architecture, Mumbai and Ph. D in Architecture from Cardiff University in U.K. The second son, Conrad, did BBA from the Wharton School of Management, USA and MBA from the Royal College of Management, London and is currently the Leader of Opposition in the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly. The youngest, Agatha, is a law graduate from Indian Law School, Pune and also completed Master Degree from Nottingham University, UK.
P.A. Sangma is a multifaceted personality. Before joining politics he had been an Academician (teacher), a lawyer (constitutional expert), a journalist (editor). He had served Meghalaya state as its Chief Minister and MLA. P.A. Sangma has been elected to the Lok Sabha for a record consecutive nine times. During these periods, he held important portfolios as Union Minister for Commerce, Home, Coal, Labour, Information and Broadcasting. P.A. Sangma created history when the Eleventh Lok Sabha unanimously elected him, a member of the opposition as the Speaker. He is the first tribal and the youngest Speaker of Lok Sabha, also the first from the Opposition to hold the Speaker’s office.
On the Presidential election, P.A. Sangma had never proposed himself for the august office. The All India Tribal Federation (AITF) had in a meeting at New Delhi agreed that a tribal should be proposed for the highest office of the country. The AITF leaders decided to approach various political parties with a list of probable candidates which included Arvind Netam, J.M. Lyngdoh, S.C. Jamir, P.A. Sangma, Kishore Chadra Deo, Kriya Munda. In the process, CM of Tamil Nadu Jayalalitha, publicly declared her support for P.A. Sangma which was followed by the CM of Odisha Naveen Patnaik. Since then AITF leaders along with P.A. Sangma have been approaching all political parties that constitute the electoral college to seek their support and opinion. It is a fact that P.A. Sangma’s name has been proposed by AITF and not his own party, NCP. NCP being a part of the UPA has its own reasons and our national leaders are no doubt placed in a delicate situation, but it is hoped that coalition complexities would be sorted out positively in favour of our respected leader P.A. Sangma and we expect to have the support of not only the NCP but also the UPA. In this context, we appeal to all tribal MPs and legislators, especially Nagaland irrespective of their party affiliations, to give their support to P.A. Sangma who has been called as the “brightest star of the north-east” by none other than our Hon’ble Chief Minister, Neiphiu Rio.
(MIATHOU KROSE)
General Secretary (Admn.)
NCP, Nagaland
