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Williamson A. Sangma

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Williamson Amphlang Sangma(d.1999), a Garo leader, was the founder Chief Minister of Meghalaya, twenty-first state in Indian Union on 21 January 1972. He was also the first ever Governor of Mizoram among the Garos in 1989.[1][2][3][4][5][6][5][7][8]

Captain Williamson A. Sangma was a statesman, Congress(I) leader, and a poineer in leading the struggle for the creation of Meghalaya state, the homeland of three ancient hill communities -- Garos, Jaintias, and Khasis - The Khasis and the Jaintas are believed to be the remnants of the first Mongolian migration into India, while the Garos migrated from originally inhabited province Torus, Tibet.[2][3][6][9]

Biography

Capt. W.A. Sangma was born in Baghmara, South Garo Hills district. He always represented Baghmara assemby constituency from Congress party.[4][5][6]

He along with Salseng C. Marak are the only Meghalaya Chief Minister's to complete full term of five years in office. A biography of Capt. Williamson A. Sangma was written by Mihir N. Sangma.[10][11][12]

Hill state demand

Though Wilson Reade, chairman of the Khasi National Durba, was the first one to demand a separate hill state, it was W.A. Sangma who speeded the movement successfully.He led the sustained struggle by the Garos, Jaintas, and the Khasis, for the hill state from the 1950s. He being the first Chief executive member of Garo Hills Autonomous District Council(GHADC), called a conference of the people of the autonomous hill districts of then-Assam at Tura to consider the demand of a hill state. Under his leadership, the conference passed the resolution to submit a memorandum to the States Reorganisation Commission(SRC) for the formation of a separate "Easern Hills State." The memorandum emphasising the following points was submitted to SRC:

  1. The people of the hills and the plains differed from each other.
  2. The attempt of the Assamese people to impose their language and culture on the hill tribes.
  3. The Assamese dominance in the legislature and the services, and
  4. The autonomy granted under the Sixth Schedule was not adequate.

[3][7][6][13][14]

The issue of separate state had become an election issue in 1957. The Tribal Union, U.M.F.O., and the Garo National Union capturing majority of seats, while the Congress secured only one seat in then-Assam Legislative Assembly.[13]

After the Indian independence, when the Nagas declared war against India, the tribes inhabitating the Khasi-Jhantia-Garo Hills extended cooperation to Government of Assam; as a result, Williamson Sangma was taken in the cabinet of Bimala Prasad Chaliha, Chief Minister of Assam, as a Cabinet minister in charge of the "Tribal Areas Department" in 1957. However, he resigned the government in protest against the official language[Assamese language] policy adopted by the Assam government.[3][15]

The peace in then autonomous districts of Assam was disturbed when the state administration decided to impose Assamese language as the state language using The Official Languages Bill on 18 October 1960 threatening the tribes, who were apprehensive of losing their culture and identity; consequently, he feared that the Assam government's linguistic policy would militate against the ethnic identity of the hill people and hence, he led the agitations that resulted them an autonomous status under the "Assam reorganisation(Meghalaya) Act 1959," until it became a full-fledged state on January 21, 1972. Prior to becoming full-fledged Meghalaya state of the Indian Union, the present areas of Meghalaya enjoyed internal autonomy under the provisions of Sixth Schedule of Constitution of India -- it also had District Councils in the Garo Hills and the United Khasi and Jaintia Hills Districts.[3][13]

With realisation of Meghalaya as a state, it ultimately united the areas of the Khasi, Jainta, and the Garo Hills under the leadership of Williamson Sangma. He being one of the major leaders of the hill statehood movement, he always craved for a better deal for the Garos, who were economically worse off than their Khasi-Jainta brethren. He also made sure the Meghalaya Board of School Education (MBOSE), which he considered to be of prime importance, was in Garo Hills.[2][3][6][16]

According to B.B. Lyngdoh of the All Party Hill Leaders Conference(APHLC), who shared the Chief Minister's office with Capt. Williamson Sangma, is said to have told that the impositon of Assamese language in 1960 was the sole reason for the fight of separate statehood, for Garo, Jhantia, and Khasis areas to be carved out as Meghalaya state:[3]:

If in 1960 Assamese were not made the state languaage we could have stayed as inhabitant of the same state like brothers.[3]

In his honour

After his death in 1999, succeeding Government of Meghalaya honoured him by naming several of public properties, including educational institutes on his name.

  • The State Museum of Meghalaya, founded in 1975, was named Williamson Sangma Museum.
  • the headquarter-complex of the East Garo Hills district of Meghalaya, was christened after him as Williamnagar.
  • Baljek airport in West Garo Hills is named after him.
  • Captain Williamson Sangma Technical University in Tura, Meghalaya.
  • Capt Williamson Memorial College, at Baghmara, in 1994.
  • An award on his name Capt. Williamson Sangma Award.

[1][17][5][6][18][5][19]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Gupta, Om (2006). Encyclopaedia of India, Pakistan and Bangladesh, Volume 3. Gyan Publishing House. p. 678. ISBN 8182053927, 9788182053922. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: invalid character (help)
  2. ^ a b c Prakash, Col Ved (2007). Encyclopaedia of North-East India, Volume 4. Atlantic Publishers & Dist. ISBN 8126907061, 9788126907069. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: invalid character (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h Dhar, Pannalal (1998). Ethnic Unrest in India and Her Neighbours. Deep and Deep Publications. pp. 30–31. ISBN 8171008186, 9788171008186. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: invalid character (help)
  4. ^ a b "Meghalaya's first CM remembered". assamtribune.com. October 26, 2009. Retrieved May 3, 2012. Meghalaya's first Chief Minister late Captain Williamson A Sangma was fondly remembered on his 19th death anniversary on Sunday with a special memorial service at Tura and his home town of Siju in South Garo Hills.
  5. ^ a b c d e "Congrats Meghalaya". meghalayatimes.info. January 20, 2012. Retrieved May 3, 2012. The first Chief Minister of Meghalaya, Capt Williamson A Sangma, is no longer known, people barely remember him. His birth place South Garo Hills is very backward in every aspect. Cite error: The named reference "meg" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  6. ^ a b c d e f "North-East India - Captain Williamson A. Sangma". facebook.com. Octoer 25, 2009. Retrieved May 2, 2012. Captain Williamson A. Sangma - was the first Chief Minister Meghalaya. He was a true statesman and pioneer in the struggle for the people of the hills and a leader of the Congress. He was born in Baghmara, which is the only town in South Garo Hills District. Williamnagar, the headquarter-complex of the East Garo Hills district of Meghalaya, was christened after Captain Williamson A. Sangma. Union civil aviation minister Praful Patel said in a staement recently that a proposal had been moved to name The Baljek airport in West Garo Hills after Captain Sangma. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  7. ^ a b "Lest we forget - Challenges for Meghalaya". meghalayatimes.info. January 21, 2010. Retrieved May 4, 2012. The demand for a separate hill state emanated for the first time from Wilson Reade, chairman of the Khasi National Durbar. Reade was the most non-controversial figure in the Khasi-Jaintia politics. But it was Capt Williamson Amphlang Sangma who speeded the movement. Sangma was a moderate by temperament, training and conviction. Being cool and thoughtful, ever aware of the consequences, he was always calculative.
  8. ^ Bhargava, Gopal K. (2006). Land and people of Indian states and union territories. 18. Meghalaya. Gyan Publishing House. p. 239. ISBN 8178353741, 9788178353746. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: invalid character (help); Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  9. ^ Chopra, Joginder Kumar (1989). Politics of Election Reforms in India. Mittal Publications. pp. 103–105. ISBN 8187498080, 9788187498087. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: invalid character (help)
  10. ^ Daniel, S.C. (2000). Philosophy of History: Some Reflections on North-east India. Daya Books. p. 70. ISBN 8187498080, 9788187498087. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: invalid character (help)
  11. ^ "Party confident of 2013 poll victory NCP unveils first list of candidates". telegraphindia.com. March 18, 2012. Retrieved May 4, 2012. Except for (late) Capt. Williamson A. Sangma and Salseng C. Marak, no other chief minister has been able to complete a full term of five years in office.
  12. ^ "Politics as farce in Meghalaya". hindu.com. June 17, 2006. Retrieved May 4, 2012. In Meghalaya's case, since its formation in 1972, only two Chief Ministers — Captain Williamson A. Sangma and S.C. Marak — have done five-year terms.
  13. ^ a b c Kumāra, Braja Bihārī (1998). Small States Syndrome In India. Concept Publishing Company. ISBN 8170226910, 9788170226918. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: invalid character (help); Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  14. ^ Environment, Development and Society in Contemporary India:An Introduction. Macmillan. 2008. p. 122. ISBN 023063530X, 9780230635302. {{cite book}}: |first= missing |last= (help); Check |isbn= value: invalid character (help)
  15. ^ Gupta, Susmita Sen (2009). Radical Politics in Meghalaya: Problems and Prospects. Gyan Publishing House. p. 68. ISBN 8178357429, 9788178357423. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: invalid character (help)
  16. ^ "History of Meghalaya Board of School Education-MBOSE". mbose.in. Retrieved May 4, 2012. The Board was inaugurated by the Honourable Chief Minister of Meghalaya, Late Captain W. A. Sangma on 19th October, 1973 in the State Central Library Auditorium, Shillong.
  17. ^ "The State Museum of Meghalaya". mapsofindia.com. Retrieved May 2, 2012. The State Museum of Meghalaya was founded in the year 1975 - The present name of The State Museum at Meghalaya is Williamson Sangma Museum.
  18. ^ "Set up Captain Williamson Sangma Technical University". inspiringbeans.com. Retrieved May 4, 2012. the first State-sponsored university in the name of the first Chief Minister of the State as a 'historic occasion',
  19. ^ "Capt Williamson Memorial College, Baghmara, Meghalaya". punjabcolleges.com. Retrieved May 4, 2012. Capt Williamson Memorial College, Baghmara is an Affiliated College. - Capt Williamson Memorial College, Baghmara was established on / in 1994.

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