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SHILLONG, February 28
The lone Garo National Council (GNC) MLA in the Meghalaya Assembly, Clifford Marak breathed his last at about 1 am on Saturday morning in the International Hospital in Guwahati in Assam. The 68-year old MLA was battling for life since the past few months after suffering from liver and kidney diseases.
He had undergone treatment at Apollo Chennai a few months ago in December and was said to have recovered a bit. However after coming back to Shillong the situation got worse.He was the lone legislator from his party and represented Chokpot constituency in South Garo Hills (SGH). Marak was also the founder of the GNC.
“He lost his fight with the diseases he was suffering from after recovering a bit and passed away at 1 amthis (Saturday) morning. We are absolutely shocked,” said a nephew of the legislator.
Born in April 13, 1947 at Sibbari village, Marak had an illustrious career in politics. He won four terms as MLA from Chokpot constituency and was for a term the Agriculture Minister in the state. He was also one of the first to hold both the MLA and MDC posts within Garo Hills, while being the Executive Member of Education & Land and Revenue in the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC).
Marak and his party had been fighting for a separate Garoland state and he had been at the forefront of the demand for the past 2 decades.
His stint in politics began with the founder chief minister of Meghalaya, Captain Williamson A. Sangma. During his student life, he was actively involved in the Hill State Movement. He was also a very avid footballer.
Marak held several positions in different social organizations and won his first election in 1978 as a member of the district council from Rongrikimgre constituency. In 1983, he was elected as an independent MLA from Chokpot constituency.
In 1988, he won for the second term as an MLA from the Hill People Union and served the government as Agriculture Minister. In 1998, Marak founded the GNC and contested the election from his own party and emerged victorious.
In 1999, he unsuccessfully contested the Lok Sabha election.
In over three decades of a career in politics, Marak has mostly been in the opposition. He will be remembered for raising issues concerning Garo Hills and his fight for a separate Garoland state.
Meghalaya legislators had branded Marak as a “master of assembly”. As president and founder of his own party, he met former Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Manmohan Singh seeking a separate home state for the Garos.
He leaves behind his wife Kalpana D. Sangma, three daughter and two sons.
