Shillong Sep 13: Former Meghalaya Chief Minister Donwa Dethwelson (DD) Lapang passed away on Friday evening at Bethany Hospital, Shillong, due to age-related ailments. He was 92.
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 became one of Meghalaya’s most prominent Congress leaders, serving five terms as Chief Minister between 1992 and 2010. His leadership saw repeated returns to power, though often challenged by political instability and coalition dissidence.
