Shillong, July 17: Former Tura MP, Agatha Sangma, has called for renaming of a road in Tura as a tribute to late Bishop George Mamalassery, Emeritus Bishop of Tura.
Sangma has proposal to rename the road starting from the P.A. Sangma Road junction leading to the Holy Cross Hospital in honour of Bishop Mamalassery as a way to commemorate his immense contributions to the region.
Known endearingly as “Bishop Mama” by the people of Garo Hills, Bishop Mamalassery has been an essential figure in the region, contributing extensively to its social, educational, and healthcare development since the 1960s.
Bishop Mamalassery’s tenure in Garo Hills began as a missionary in 1960s, eventually leading to his role as the Bishop of Tura. His legacy is marked by the establishment of numerous educational institutions, including several LP schools, 35 M.E. Schools, 16 Secondary Schools, 2 Higher Secondary Schools, and 24 Girls’ hostels and 23 boys hostels spread all across the Garo Hills.
In the healthcare sector, Bishop Mamalassery founded over 20 dispensaries and the 150-bed Holy Cross Hospital in Tura, enhancing healthcare access for the people of Garo Hills. Additionally, he established the Rino Simoneti Nursing School for General Nursing and two old-age homes for the poor and destitute, including one in Tura.
For the physically challenged, he invited the Montfort Brothers to establish the Montfort Centre for the Physically challenged at Danakgre.
Similarly, under his patronage, the Diocesan Social Service Center (Bakdil) grew into being a major NGO involved in various welfare and people empowerment programs in Garo Hills.
“These are only a few out of the many ways in which he has worked selflessly for the people of Garo Hills. Not just the Catholic Church, but the people of Garo Hills will remain ever grateful to him for all that he has done for us. I believe we must pay our tribute and show our gratitude to him by naming the road starting from the P A. Sangma road junction that leads up to The Holy Cross Hospital by his name. It would be extremely symbolic and a meaningful gesture as he is the person behind the establishment of this hospital,” the former MP said in a letter to Deputy Commissioner of West Garo Hills, Jagdish Chelani.
She said the renaming of the road will be a befitting tribute to Bishop Mamalassery’s legacy from the people of Garo Hills.
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