constituent assembly of india debates (proceedings)- volume vii

that caused by the existence of different tribes who have little feeling of solidarity among themselves.
Quite recently a sort of tribal council to bring, together the different tribes with a view to educating them
in local self-government was undertaken by the Sub-Divisional Officer, but the Mikir, influenced as they
were by people from the Mikir Hills who wanted an amalgamation of the Mikir area with the Mikir Hills
portion, would not co-operate in the joint council. Then there is the question of choosing a common
representative. The Cachari being the most numerous have some advantage and the area is obviously
too small for the representation of more than one in the provincial legislature. It is likely however that
there will be a sufficient combination for the purpose of electing a common representative. Since this
area cannot share a representative with plains areas, the population of 37,000 will have to be provided
with a representative of their own. If however a local self-governing body is formed in this district it is
clear that there will have to be some kind of regional arrangement by which the different tribe shave
their own separate councils which will then come together in the form of a council for the whole subdivision.
Like most other hill districts this area is also a deficit area. The same feeling which exists in other
areas about safeguarding land and protection of the land from occupation by outsiders as well as
excluding them also from other activities which may lead to exploitation prevails here. One feature of
this area is that among the different tribes it is Hindustani which is more of common language than
Assamese.
7. KHASI AND JAINTIA HILLS -
This partially excluded area consists of the Jaintia Hills formerly forming part of the Kingdom of the
old Jaintia Kings and now forming the Jowai Sub-division, and some 176 villages in the Sadar Subdivision.
The Khasi and Jaintia Hills as a whole consists of a large territory between the Garo Hills on the
west and the North Cachar Hills and the Mikir Hills on the east. The Khasi States which consist of 1,509
villages cover the western portion of the Hills and the British villages are interlaced with them. The
people of the Jowai Sub-division are known as Synteng or Pnar and speak a dialect but with the
exception of a small number of Mikir on the northern slopes of the Hills, the whole population of these
Hills may be regarded as uniform. Unlike their neighbours who speak Tibeto-Burman tongues the Khasi
form an island of the MonKhmer linguistic family.
The Khasi States, which are about 25 in number, are some of the smallest in India. The largest States
are Khyriem, Mylliem and Nongkhlao and the smallest is Nonglewai. The system of inheritance of Chief
ship is described as follows: -
"The Chiefs of these little States are generally taken from the same family inheritance going through
the female. A uterine brother usually has the first claim and failing him a sister's son. The appointment is
however subject to the approval of a small electoral body, and the heir-apparent is occasionally passed
over, if for any reason, mental, physical or moral, he is unfit for the position. The electors are generally
the myntries or lyngdohs, the representatives of the clans which go to form the State." In Langrin, the
appointment is by popular election. In some of the States, if the Myntries are not unanimous in their
choice, a popular election is held. The Chiefs are known as siem in most States; but in some they are
called Sardar, Lyngdoh in three of them and Wahadadar in one. The functions of the chiefs are largely
magisterial and in the discharge of their duties they are assisted by their My tries. The relations between
them and the Government of India are based upon sanads issued to them. For specimen of these sanads
Volume XII of Aitchison's Treaties Engagements and Sanads may be referred to. Under the terms of the
sanad, the chiefs are placed completely under the control of the Deputy Commissioner and the
Government of India and waste lands as well as minerals are ceded to the Government on condition that
half the revenue is made over to the Siems. Their criminal and civil authority are also limited. The sanads
do not mention the right to levy excise on liquor and drugs and presumably the Siems have that right.
Though the States are not in the partially excluded areas, the main interest attaching to them is the fact