Rich tributes paid to PA Sangma on his birth anniversary

New Delhi: Rich tributes were paid to former Lok Sabha Speaker PA Sangma on his birth anniversary at a function in the Central hall of Parliament House on Thursday.

Lok Sabha deputy Speaker M Thambidurai, Rajya Sabha deputy Chairman PJ Kurien, members of Parliament and former MPs paid floral tributes to Sangma.

Secretaries-General of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha Anoop Mishra and Shumsher K Sheriff respectively also paid the tributes.

Born on September 1, 1947 in Chapahati village in the West Garo Hills district of Meghalaya, Sangma was a man of many parts - having been a lecturer, a lawyer and a journalist before joining politics.

He was unanimously elected Speaker of the Eleventh Lok Sabha on May 23, 1996, winning the support across all political parties.

As the Speaker, Sangma ensured that rules were observed by the members even in the midst of stormy debates.

For him Parliamentary democracy meant free debate, objective deliberations and healthy criticism and it was for the Speaker to ensure that these objectives were achieved.

He had nine terms in Lok Sabha and served in the Union Cabinet in important ministries like Home Affairs, Commerce, Industry, Labour, Information and Broadcasting and Coal.

Sangma passed away on March 4 this year.