In the North East, it was one step forward, two steps back.
Much of the progress made by Sir Muhammed Saleh Akbar Hydari, the Governor of Assam, was being undone.
The Khasis, a matrilineal society that is largely concentrated in present-day Meghalaya, were one of the largest ethnic groups in the Northeast. Hydari had met with representatives of the federation of 25 Khasi states on July 12, 1947, and after four days of negotiations, concluded an agreement with the federation that was designed to stop separatist tendencies.
The agreement, copies of which were forwarded to Vallabhbhai Patel and Jawaharlal Nehru, provided a standstill arrangement of two years or until new agreements were formulated, whichever was earlier. It provided for the region’s autonomy in all subjects, except judicial, excise, forests, and land and water rights.
In judicial matters, the Khasi states agreed to accept the final authority of the Assam High Court when established. Regarding legislation, if the Assam province and states agreed, they could send representatives to the Assam Assembly.
Hydari believed that this standstill period would give New Delhi breathing space till it arrived at satisfactory arrangements regarding the region’s complex questions, including the position of the Shillong-Administered Area.
Even arriving at this stopgap agreement wasn’t easy. The legendary Khasi leader...Read more
