Meghalaya is draped in grief following the demise of four-time Chief Minister and veteran statesman Dr. D.D. Lapang, who breathed his last on Friday evening at Bethany Hospital, Shillong, at the age of 91 after battling age-related ailments.
The Government of Meghalaya has announced a State Funeral to honor the departed leader. The ceremony will be held at Student’s Field, Jaiaw, Shillong, on 15th September 2025 at 1:00 PM, followed by the burial at Jaiaw Presbyterian Church Cemetery, Weiking, Jaiaw.
As a mark of respect, the government has declared three days of State Mourning from 13th to 15th September 2025. During this period, the National Flag will be flown at half-mast across all government establishments, and no official entertainment will take place.
Since Saturday morning, political leaders, ministers, and well-wishers, including Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma, have been paying their respects at the late leader’s residence. Speaking to the media, the Chief Minister fondly recalled his long association with Dr. Lapang, describing him as a towering statesman and one of Meghalaya’s most enduring political stalwarts.
“It is a great loss not only from the state point of view but from my personal point of view also it is a great loss…Throughout his political career he has done so much for our state, so much for our people and as I said for me also I have learned so much in his entire career I have been watching all the different works that he has done and it has been a great inspiration to me,” he said, extending condolences to the bereaved family.
The Chief Minister recalled meeting Dr. Lapang just 10 days before his hospitalization, struck by his sharp presence of mind and alertness even at his advanced age. He also remembered his first encounter with Lapang in 1988, when his father, Purno A. Sangma, was Chief Minister, noting the late leader’s enduring contributions and his influence on his own political journey.
Condolence messages have poured in from across the state and on social media, reflecting the deep sense of loss at the passing of a leader who shaped Meghalaya’s political history for decades.
