P. A. Sangma facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Purno Agitok Sangma
11th Speaker of the Lok Sabha
In office 25 May 1996 – 23 March 1998
Deputy	Suraj Bhan
Preceded by	Shivraj Patil
Succeeded by	G. M. C. Balayogi
Minister of Information and Broadcasting
In office 15 September 1995 – 16 May 1996
Prime Minister	P. V. Narasimha Rao
Preceded by	Kamakhya Prasad Singh Deo (As MoS)
Succeeded by	Sushma Swaraj
Member of the Lok Sabha for Tura
In office 26 May 2014 – 5 March 2016
Preceded by	Agatha Sangma
Succeeded by	Conrad Sangma
In office 1991–2008
Preceded by	Sanford Marak
Succeeded by	Agatha Sangma
In office 1977–1989
Preceded by	K. R. Marak
Succeeded by	Sanford Marak
4th Chief Minister of Meghalaya
In office 6 February 1988 – 25 March 1990
Governor	Bhishma Narain Singh Hari Dev Joshi A. A. Rahim
Preceded by	Williamson A. Sangma
Succeeded by	B. B. Lyngdoh
Personal details
Born	Purno Agitok Sangma (1947-09-01)1 September 1947 Chapahati, Assam, India (Now in Meghalaya, India)
Died	4 March 2016(2016-03-04) (aged 68) New Delhi, India
Political party	National People's Party (2012–2016)
Other political affiliations	Nationalist Congress Party (1999–2004; 2005–2012) All India Trinamool Congress (2004–2005) Indian National Congress (before 1999)
Spouse	Soradini K. (1973–2016)
Children	4; including Conrad, Agatha
Alma mater	Dibrugarh University

Purno Agitok Sangma (born September 1, 1947 – died March 4, 2016) was an important Indian politician. He served as the Chief Minister of Meghalaya from 1988 to 1990. He also held the high position of Speaker of the Lok Sabha from 1996 to 1998. The Lok Sabha is like the main parliament of India.

In 2012, he ran for the President of India, but he did not win. After he passed away, he was given the Padma Vibhushan award in 2017. This is India's second-highest award for civilians. He was the first person from Meghalaya to receive this special honor.

P. A. Sangma's Political Journey

Purno Agitok Sangma started his political career in 1973. He became the Vice-President of the youth wing of the Congress party in Meghalaya. By 1975, he was the General Secretary of the party in the state. He held this role until 1980.

In 1977, he was chosen by the people to be a Member of Parliament (MP). He represented the Tura area in Meghalaya. An MP is someone elected to make laws for the country. He served many terms as an MP for Tura.

Becoming Speaker of Lok Sabha

One of his most important roles was becoming the Speaker of the Lok Sabha in 1996. The Speaker is like the referee or leader of the Lok Sabha meetings. They make sure debates run smoothly and rules are followed.

Chief Minister of Meghalaya

P. A. Sangma also served as the Chief Minister of Meghalaya. He held this top position in the state government from 1988 to 1990. As Chief Minister, he was in charge of leading the state and its development.

Forming New Political Parties

In 1999, Sangma left the Congress party. He disagreed with some of the party's leaders. Along with other politicians, he helped start a new party called the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP).

Later, in 2004, he had more disagreements within the NCP. He then joined another party, the All India Trinamool Congress. He continued to be a Member of Parliament during these changes.

In 2013, Sangma launched his own political party, the National People's Party. This party won some seats in the Meghalaya state elections that year. He was re-elected as an MP from Tura in 2014.

Running for President

In 2012, P. A. Sangma decided to run for the highest office in India: the President. He received support from several other political parties. To run for President, he had to resign from the NCP.

However, he lost the election to another experienced politician, Pranab Mukherjee. Even though he didn't win, running for President showed his importance in Indian politics.

His Early Life and Family

Purno Agitok Sangma was born on September 1, 1947. He grew up in a village called Chapahati in Assam, which is now part of Meghalaya. He came from a family with seven children.

When he was only 11, his father passed away. This made things very difficult, and he had to stop going to school because of poverty. Luckily, a kind priest named Giovanni Battista Busolin helped him return to his studies.

Sangma went on to earn a degree from St. Anthony's College in Shillong. He later taught at a school while studying for his Master's degree at Dibrugarh University.

In 1973, he married Soradini K. They had four children together: two sons and two daughters. His children also became involved in politics. His son, Conrad Sangma, and his daughter, Agatha Sangma, are both politicians. Agatha was one of the youngest ministers in the Indian government when she was elected in 2009.

His Passing

Purno Agitok Sangma passed away on March 4, 2016, in New Delhi. He was 68 years old. He died from a cardiac arrest, which is a sudden stop of the heart. Many important leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, paid their respects to him.

Important Roles He Held

P. A. Sangma held many important positions throughout his long career:

• 1974: Vice President of Meghalaya Pradesh Youth Congress
• 1975: General Secretary of the Meghalaya Pradesh Congress Committee
• 1977: First elected as a Member of Parliament for Tura
• 1980s: Served as a Deputy Minister and Minister of State in various government departments like Industry, Commerce, and Labour.
• 1988: Became Chief Minister of Meghalaya
• 1991: Re-elected as a Member of Parliament for Tura
• 1991-1995: Union Minister of State for Coal and Labour
• 1995-1996: Union Cabinet Minister of Information and Broadcasting
• 1996-1998: Speaker of the Lok Sabha
• 1999: Re-elected as a Member of Parliament for Tura, as a member of the new Nationalist Congress Party
• 2014: Elected to Lok Sabha from Tura for his final term

See also

• Politics of India
• Nuclear disarmament

Images for kids

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  Prime Minister Narendra Modi and cabinet members paying their respects at Sangma's wake