Shillong, Aug. 18: Former Meghalaya deputy chief minister John Deng Pohrmen, 86, passed away today at his residence here after a brief illness.

He had held several portfolios like finance and public works, among others, during his tenure. The funeral will be held on Monday at Laitumkhrah Catholic cemetery here. He is survived by his wife Margaret Rose Rapthap and four children.

Born at Nongtalang village in War Jaintia, Pohrmen was actively involved in the Hill State Movement and joined active politics in the early 60s. He was elected a member of the Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council (JHADC) from the All-Party Hill Leaders Conference in 1967 and later became chief executive member of the council.

In 1978, Pohrmen contested the Assembly elections from War Jaintia constituency in Jaintia Hills on an APHLC ticket and was sworn in as a cabinet minister under the chief ministership of D.D. Pugh.

In 1981, he joined the Congress and elected as president of Jaintia Hills District Congress Committee. He was also a cabinet minister in various coalition ministries headed by the late B.B Lyngdoh and also in the cabinet of later chief ministers Purno Sangma, D.D. Lapang and Salseng C. Marak.

In 1991, Porhmen refused to accept the proposal of his Congress legislators to become the chief minister and instead proposed D.D. Lapang’s name as leader.

Pohrmen, however, was sworn in as deputy chief minister in Lapang’s cabinet and continued to be the second-in-command in the party.

He was also elected as ward commissioner of Shillong Muncipal Board in 1955.

Before joining politics, Pohrmen was a schoolteacher from 1952 to 1967 at St Anthony’s High School here. He also served as editor of two Khasi newspapers — Ka Lympung Ri Lum and U Nongsain Hima.