Former Meghalaya Chief Minister D.D. Lapang passed away on Friday evening at Bethany Hospital, Shillong, due to age-related ailments. He was 91.
Born on April 10, 1933, to Donwa War, Lapang began his humble journey as a road labourer before rising to become a Sub-Inspector of Schools. In 1958, he married Amethyst Lynda Jomes Blah.
Lapang entered politics in 1972, winning the Nongpoh seat as an Independent candidate. Over the decades, he emerged as one of Meghalaya’s most prominent Congress leaders, serving four terms as Chief Minister between 1992 and 2010. His leadership saw repeated returns to power, though often challenged by political instability and coalition dissidence.
Till his last breath, Lapang remained a member of the National People’s Party (NPP), having quit the Congress.
