SHILLONG, MAY 13: Seeking institutional recognition for one of Meghalaya’s key constitutional figures, Laban MDC Ricky Shullai has urged Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma to declare November 1 a State Holiday in memory of Rev JJM Nichols-Roy, citing his pivotal role in the creation and defence of the Sixth Schedule.
In a detailed memorandum submitted to the Chief Minister, Shullai said Rev Nichols-Roy was “a Member of the Constituent Assembly of India and one of the principal architects and foremost defenders of the Sixth Schedule to the Constitution of India.
He pointed to Nichols-Roy’s intervention during the Constituent Assembly debate on September 6, 1949, when he “firmly declared: ‘Our aspiration is with India,’” making the case for autonomy within the Indian Union while opposing any move to separate the hill areas from the country.
The Sixth Schedule, which took effect on January 26, 1950, established a distinct constitutional framework granting “legislative powers, executive authority, protection of tribal land, recognition of customary laws, and preservation of traditional institutions” to tribal areas.
That structure paved the way for the inauguration of the United Khasi-Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council on June 27, 1952. According to the memorandum, the Schedule remains central to governance in Meghalaya and is widely studied across the country “as a model of asymmetric federalism and tribal self-governance,” featuring in civil services examinations and academic curricula. After Rev. Nichols-Roy passed away on November 1, 1959, the District Council formally recognised his contribution and has observed the day since.
Shullai’s submission also traced Nichols-Roy’s engagement with national leaders who shaped modern India, including Gopinath Bordoloi, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, Jawaharlal Nehru, and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
“Historical records also note that Jawaharlal Nehru visited and was hosted by Rev. Nichols-Roy at his residence ‘Mountain View’ in Qualapaty, Shillong, where discussions relating to the hill areas and constitutional safeguards took place,” the memorandum stated.
Arguing for the holiday, Shullai said such recognition would formally acknowledge Nichols-Roy’s foundational role, build constitutional awareness among youth, and reaffirm Meghalaya’s commitment to tribal autonomy within the Union. It would further motivate educational and public institutions to hold programmes on the Sixth Schedule and indigenous self-governance, while preserving the legacy of a leader regarded as “one of the foremost defenders of tribal autonomy in India.”
While the Sixth Schedule drew from the Bordoloi-led North-East Frontier (Assam) Tribal and Excluded Areas Sub-Committee, the memorandum emphasised that Nichols-Roy “played a decisive intellectual, constitutional, and political role in defending and refining the framework within the Constituent Assembly.” It credited him with articulating autonomy without separation, pressing for safeguards on land and customary laws, rejecting both unprotected integration and isolation, and providing “moral and philosophical grounding to the idea of Autonomous District Councils as institutions of self-governance.”
“Rev. J.J.M. Nichols-Roy’s contribution transcends political and denominational lines. Recognition at the State level would not merely commemorate a leader but institutionalise respect for the constitutional framework that safeguards the identity, rights, customs, and autonomy of the people of Meghalaya,” the memorandum said. Shullai requested that his submission be read along with the official proceedings of the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council relating to the resolution moved on the matter.
By Our Reporter
