Former Meghalaya deputy chief minister in-charge finance, public works department and others John Deng Pohrmen today passed away at his residence at Bhagyakul, Laitumkhrah here this evening. He was 86.
His funeral will be held on Monday, August 20, at Laitumkhrah Catholic cemetery at 2pm
Pohrmen had been ailing for sometime. He is survived by his wife Margaret Rose Rapthap and his four children, grand children and a host of nephews and nieces.
Born at Nongtalang village in War Jaintia, Pohrmen  was actively involved in Hill State Movement joined active politics in the early 1960s and was elected as member of the Jaintia  Hills Autonomous District Council (JHADC ) on All Party Hill Leaders Conference (APHLC)  in 1967 and was later elevated to  post of Chief Executive Member of JHADC. In 1978, Pohrmen contested the Assembly elections from War Jaintia constituency on APHLC ticket and was sworn in as a Cabinet minister in the “The Three Flag Government” under the chief ministership of DD Pugh.
In 1981, he joined the Indian National Congress and was elected as President of Jaintia Hills District Congress Committee. He was also a cabinet minister in various coalition ministries headed by (late) B.B Lyngdoh, Purno A Sangma, DD. Lapang and Salseng C Marak. In 1991, Prohmen refused to accept the proposal of his Congress legislators to take over as the leader of Congress Legislative Party and chief minister but instead proposed DD Lapang’s name as his party legislative leader. Pohrmen, however, was sworn-in as deputy chief minister in the Lapang’s cabinet and continued to be the second-in-command in Congress Legislative Party till the tenure of Salseng C Marak.
Pohrmen was also elected as Ward Commissioner of the Shillong Municipal Board in 1955.
In fact, before joining politics, Pohrmen was a school teacher for 15 years from 1952 to 1967 at St Anthony’s High School in Shillong.
In his spare time as teacher, Prohmen also served as an Editor of “Ka Lympung Ri Lum” and subsequently as an Editor of “U Nongsain Hima”