Sonam Dawa cremated with full State honours

BJP leaders including Deputy Chief Minister, Dr Nirmal Singh shouldering the body of CEC, LAHDC, Leh Dr Sonam Dawa for performing last rites on Tuesday. —Excelsior/Morup Stanzin
BJP leaders including Deputy Chief Minister, Dr Nirmal Singh shouldering the body of CEC, LAHDC, Leh Dr Sonam Dawa for performing last rites on Tuesday. —Excelsior/Morup Stanzin

Excelsior Correspondent

LEH, (Ladakh) Feb 6: Chief Executive Councilor LAHDC Leh, Dr. Sonam Dawa Lonpo was cremated with full State honours today at Shey village of Leh Ladakh. Guard of honour and gun salute was accorded to the departed CEC.
Dr. Sonam Dawa who died of cardiac arrest at the age of 69, and was also given the honour of flags flying at half mast at all Government buildings of the district from 31st till today. All the Government institutions were closed for the day today while shops were closed in Leh for half day in the honour of the departed leader.
A senior BJP leader, Dr. Dawa was a tall political and social personality and was also counted as an able administrator, an active social worker and above all a humble human being. Dr. Dawa’s last rites were performed at his native village Shey today.
Deputy CM, Dr. Nirmal Singh, Chairman Legislative Council Haji Inayat Ali, Minister for R&B, Naeem Akhtar, Minister for Cooperatives & Ladakh Affairs Tsering Dorjey Lakrok, Minister for Industries and Commerce Chander Prakash Ganga, Minister for PHE Sham Lal Choudhary, CEC Kargil Kacho Ahmad Ali Khan, Member Parliament Thupstan Tsewang, former minister and Member Legislative Assembly Leh, Nawang Rigzin Jora, BJP State in-charge Ram Madhav, State party president Satpal Sharma, and general secretary Ashok Kaul, general secretary, Pawan Khajuria were present. DC Leh Avny Lavasa, SSP Leh Sargun Shukla, all the councilors of LAHDC, relatives and friends were also present at Dr. Dawa’s Leh house and later at Shey.
BJP leaders while paying tributes to Dr Dawa said his demise has created a vacuum in political and social life and the loss suffered by his death can’t be fulfilled soon.
They said the people of State in general and Ladakh region in particular will remember him for long for his selfless services to the masses.
Meanwhile, after the funeral all councilors held a  meeting at Ladakh Affairs and Cooperative Minister, Chering Dorjey Lakrook’s house to discuss about the election of new CEC. MP Thupstan Chhewang was also present in the meeting.
The reliable sources said that all councilors left the decision on Minister Dorjey and M P Thupstan Chhewang. There were indications that Executive Councilors will also be reshuffled with the new Chairman of Hill Council, sources added.