CORRESPONDENT
SHILLONG: A pall of grief descended on the Voice of the People Party (VPP) on Friday as party chief Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit expressed profound shock over the sudden demise of Shillong Member of Parliament Dr Ricky A.J. Syngkon, describing his passing as an unimaginable loss to the party and the state.
Syngkon, a founding member of the Voice of the People Party and one of its most prominent faces, was remembered not just as a colleague but as a pillar of the party’s political journey. Speaking with visible emotion, Basaiawmoit said the news of Syngkon’s death had left the party shaken and struggling to come to terms with the tragedy. “With grief and shock we learn of the sudden demise of one of our colleagues, members and the founding members of the Voice of the People Party,” Basaiawmoit said on Friday, adding that the party never expected Dr Syngkon’s passing, given his good health. Recalling the moment the news first surfaced, Basaiawmoit said the party was deeply disturbed by reports that Syngkon had collapsed. “We knew him as a healthy person. When the news broke out that he fell on the ground and remained unconscious, we were really worried and we were saddened to learn that he could not make it and passed away from this world… As a party, we are in grief, we are in shock,” he said.
The VPP chief underlined that Syngkon’s absence would be deeply felt within the party ranks, particularly because of his role as a founding member who helped shape the party’s vision and direction. His death, he indicated, has left behind not just an emotional void but a vacuum in leadership and guidance. Expressing faith amid sorrow, Basaiawmoit said he believed the void would not remain permanent. “We hope that God will not allow this place which he has occupied to remain void forever, to remain empty and we will have a replacement where God will fill up this void,” he said. As tributes continue to pour in from across political lines, Syngkon’s passing marks a defining moment for the VPP, which now faces the challenge of carrying forward the legacy of one of its founding architects while navigating an uncertain political landscape without one of its strongest voices.
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