Shillong, Nov 10: The Hills State People’s Democratic Party (HSPDP) on Wednesday felicitated the ‘Hill State Movement Fighters’, the pioneers in helping Meghalaya in attaining its statehood from Assam, at Anton Hall in Shillong.
In 1970, Meghalaya became an autonomous region in Assam, and in 1972 it became a full-fledged state within the Indian Union.
The seed for a separate state for the tribals of Khasi-Jaintia Hills and Garo Hills were first sowed at a meeting in Shillong on 16–17 June, 1954 called by Captain Wiliamson Sangma of the Garo Hills District Council along with the Hill State People’s Democratic Party under the leadership of (Late) Hoping Stone Lyngdoh, former MLA and Home Minister. But it was the Assam Official Language Bill which pushed the tribal population of Khasi Hills and Garo Hills to vehemently demand for a full-fledged state as they felt the threat the Bill was to their culture and traditions.
The Assam Official Language Bill, 1960, had declared: “Assamese and English … shall be used for all or any of the official purposes of the State of Assam”.
Former MLA and HSPDP Chief KP Pangniang, MLA and former Minister of the MDA government Samlin Malngiang, Minister Renikton L Tongkhar and other dignitaries were present at the felicitation programme.
