Shillong, Sept 12: From road labourer to Chief Minister of the State. The journey of Donwa Dethwelson Lapang, who passed away on September 12 at the age of 95, was not free from hardships.
Even during his childhood, he worked as a road labourer to support the family, besides helping the mother, who had a tea stall at Lew Mawlong, Nongpoh and Lew Umsning.
Lapang received his primary education in Umsning and completed his matriculation from Shillong Government High School and later graduated through an evening section from St. Anthony’s College, Shillong.
His jobs ranged from being a teacher in Saiden Basic School, Nongpoh, for 5 years to a typist in Assam Secretariat, followed by securing the posts of Lower & Upper Division Assistant and sub-inspector of schools.
Lapang started his political career by contesting and winning the Nongpoh Assembly constituency in 1972.
He repeated the victory in the subsequent Assembly polls in 1978, 1983, 1988, 1998,2003,2008 and 2013.
He was the architect behind the creation of the Ri Bhoi District, which was inaugurated in June 1992
He left the Congress to join the NPP and recently quit the post of Advisor to the NPP-led government.
He was born to Donwas War and Elsibon Lapang. He has three sisters and two brothers.
In 1958, Lapang married Amethyst Lynda Jomes Blah, and they have one son, Badaplak Robert Blah and a daughter, late Marbakor Lynda Blah.
