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Friday, March 29, 2024

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Friday, March 29, 2024

A dream realised, but miles to go for Meghalaya..

As Meghalaya turns 50, statehood warrior Bindo Lanong looks back at the events that led to the formation of the state in 1972, and tells Daiaphira Kharsati that though it is a victory of the people, there is a lot that needs to be done.

SHILLONG:

The seeds of the Hill State Movement were sown and the demand for a separate state for the tribals was at its peak when Bindo M Lanong was born. The year was 1949. In the next 11 years, various tribal associations were to come together to form the All Party Hill Leaders Conference (APHLC) and press the Centre for a separate state. In the run-up to that, people from all walks of life had jumped into the statehood movement and non-violent processions, protests, and dharnas had become an everyday affair. Revolution was in the air when a young Lanong, intrigued by seeing his friends and peers joining the movement, volunteered to be a part of it.

“Initially, I wasn’t involved in the Hill State Movement. We were young boys at the time. The movement began in the 1950s when various Northeastern regions were unified under an undivided Assam and the Eastern India Tribal Union (EITU) was formed at Tura in 1954. The hill areas felt ignored by the government of Assam as the Assamese majority dominated the then state government. This was why we wanted to be separated from Assam,” recalls Lanong, who later went to become the Speaker of Meghalaya Legislative Assembly twice – in 1983 and 2008.

As a youngster, Lanong would join volunteers who took out processions after meetings at the Khasi National Dorbar Hall, Mawkhar. He would march with them from Malki Point to Madan Iewrynghep (Fire Brigade Ground) and would later also participate wholeheartedly in protests and dharnas. “Volunteers demonstrated by organising hartals and processions in line with the Gandhian teachings. The scene was akin to Gandhi’s Satyagraha,” says the veteran politician.

The last straw came in 1960 when the then Assam government in 1960 proposed the Language Bill, a bill that required everybody in undivided Assam to learn and speak Assamese. Evidently, the tribal communities weren’t happy and felt their fear— of alienation was coming true.

At this point, the APHLC was formed and included tribal groups from Northeastern states such as the Mizos and Karbis of Karbi Anglong (now North Cachar Hills). In a few years, however, the Mizos and Karbis of North Cachar Hills would withdraw from the Conference and APHLC was confined only to Khasi, Jaintia and Garo Hills.

Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru was the Prime Minister of India when the separate state was sought. According to Lanong, Nehru believed that the desire for a new state within Assam
was the result of insecurity, the feeling of neglect, and fear of many other discriminations – especially the “imposition” of the Assamese language on the non-Assamese speaking people. “Though he never expressed it, Nehru was of the opinion that the demand for separation was genuine,” says Lanong.

By then, the Assam state government’s Language Bill had become an Act and it was vehemently opposed by the APHLC. The passing of the Bill gave impetus to the Movement and it intensified by leaps and bounds – different organisations were formed, volunteers were recruited, demonstrations and hartals began to take place on a regular basis. “Peaceful demonstrations opposing the imposition of a foreign language on the tribesmen of the hills became an everyday occurrence as the demonstrators felt their identity was at stake,” says Lanong.

Leaders such as Huber Hynniewta, BB Lyngdoh and PR Kyndiah took charge, while the volunteer wing was led by Modi Marak, E Bareh of Jaintia Hills and Captain Williamson Sangma. “But the scene of the battlefield was in Khasi Hills. Hence, the majority of the demonstrations took place in Shillong, besides some in other parts of Jaintia and Garo Hills,” informs Lanong.

“I also joined in. Though I wasn’t at the forefront, on several occasions, we were arrested. We were taken in buses and other vehicles and were made to stay inside them
from morning until evening, and later, they would drop us off at various locations. This was just a way to restrict our movement. However, we were not tortured in any way. No case was registered against us as well,” says the soft-spoken 73-year-old.

Lanong, however, says that initially, some leaders of the movement were sent to jail and cases were registered, too. “However, it was not a serious situation as there was no bloodshed. The demonstrators were not carrying any weapons, didn’t indulge in any violence, and there were no reports of any stone-pelting or other such untoward incidents. The demonstrators just marched peacefully raising their voices for a separate state,” he says.

By then, the news of peaceful demonstrations had reached the ears of the Central leadership and the latter was impressed by the way the movement was being conducted, Lanong says.

Another move that had a positive impression on the Centre was the way APHLC suspended the movement in the wake of the Chinese invasion of the Northeast in 1962. By the time the Red Army had reached Assam, the APHLC had called off the statehood movement temporarily and started demonstrating against the invasion in unison. The way APHLC stood united against the common enemy attracted the attention of the Central leadership and they were impressed as the demonstrators did not take advantage of the situation to propel their goal of a separate state. “I feel, therefore, the statehood was declared without any bloodshed,” opined Lanong.

Today, on the occasion of Meghalaya’s Statehood Day, Lanong looks back at the events that led to the formation of the state fifty years ago and says that though the creation of the state is a victory of the people, there is a lot that needs to be done.

“Whether the people’s needs are met or not; is debatable. Maybe, we have not achieved our goal in totality. We are constantly fighting for additional needs for the new population. I am personally not satisfied. For instance, we have not been able to provide employment to our youth. The government in power needs to be aware of these problems and work to resolve them,” he concludes.

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