The word ‘Meghalaya’ literally means ‘The Abode of Clouds’ in Sanskrit. Meghalaya, a hilly strip in the eastern part of the country, about 300 km long (east-west) and 100 km wide, with a total area of about 22,429 km. The state is bounded on the north by Assam and by Bangladesh on the south.
Meghalaya has a unicameral legislature. The state legislative assembly has 60 members at present. Meghalaya has two representatives in the Lok Sabha, the lower house of the Parliament of India; one each from Shillong and Tura. It also has one representative in the Rajya Sabha. The Guwahati High Court has jurisdiction in Meghalaya. A circuit bench of the Guwahati High Court has been functioning at Shillong since 1974.
Meghalaya currently has 7 districts: East Garo Hills, East Khasi Hills, Jaintia Hills, Ri-Bhoi, South Garo Hills, West Garo Hills and the West Khasi Hills.
History
Meghalaya was formed by carving out the two districts of the state of Assam: the United Khasi and Jaintia Hills, and the Garo Hills on January 21, 1972. Prior to attaining full statehood, Meghalaya was given a semi-autonomous status in 1970. The Khasi, Garo, and Jaintia tribes each had their own kingdoms, until they came under the British administration in the 19th century. The British incorporated Meghalaya into Assam in 1835. The region enjoyed semi-independent status by virtue of a treaty relationship with the British Crown.
When Bengal was partitioned on October 16, 1905 by Lord Curzon, Meghalaya became a part of the new province of `Eastern Bengal and Assam`. However, when the partition was reversed in 1912, Meghalaya became a part of the province of Assam.
On January 3, 1921 in pursuance of Section 52A of the Government of India Act of 1919, the Governor-General-in-Council declared the areas now in Meghalaya, other than the Khasi States, as ‘backward tracts’. However, the Government of India Act of 1935 regrouped the backward tracts into two categories, namely, ‘excluded’ and ‘partially excluded’ areas in place of backward tracts. At the time of Independence in 1947, Meghalaya constituted two districts of Assam and enjoyed limited autonomy within the state of Assam.
The Assam Reorganisation (Meghalaya) Act, 1969 accorded an autonomous status on the state of Meghalaya. The Act came into effect on April 2, 1970, and an autonomous state of Meghalaya was created from Assam. The autonomous state had a legislature in accordance with the 6th schedule to the Constitution. The legislature had 37 members.
In 1971, the Parliament passed the North-Eastern Areas (Reorganization) Act, which conferred full statehood on the Autonomous State of Meghalaya. Meghalaya attained statehood on January 21, 1972, with a legislative assembly of its own.
Demographics
Tribal people make up the majority of Meghalaya`s population. The Khasis are the largest group, followed by the Garos. These were among those known to the British as ‘hill tribes’. Other groups include the Jaintias, the Koch and the Hajong, Dimasa, Hmar, Kuki, Lakhar, Mikir, Rabha etc.
Meghalaya, along with Nagaland and Mizoram, is one the of three states in India to have a Christian majority with 70.3% of the population practicing Christianity. Hinduism is the next sizeable faith in the region with 13.3% of the population practicing it. A sizeable minority comprising 11.5% of the population follow an ancient Animist philosophy. Muslims make up 4.3% of the population as well.
As per the census of India 2001, the sex ratio in the state was 975 females per thousand males. It has grown steadily from a 1981 level of 954. Traditionally, the sex ratio in the rural areas has been higher than that in the urban areas. However, as per the census of 2001, the urban sex ratio of 985 was higher than the rural sex ratio of 972. This has often been attributed to the belief that, unlike most other parts of India, there is no special preference for a male child in Meghalaya.
Culture and society
The main tribes in Meghalaya are the Jaintias, the Khasis and the Garos. Majority of the tribal population in Meghalaya follows a matrilineal system where lineage and inheritance are traced through women. The Khasi and Jaintia tribesmen follow the traditional matrilineal norm, wherein the "Ka Khadduh" (or the youngest daughter) inherits all the property and acts as the caretaker of aged parents and unmarried siblings. However, the male line, particularly the mother’s brother, may indirectly control the ancestral property since he may be involved in important decisions relating to property including its sale and disposal.
The tribal people of Meghalaya are therefore a part of what may be the world`s largest surviving matrilineal culture.
Geographically, Meghalaya is also known as the ‘Meghalaya Plateau’. It consists mainly of archean rock formations. These rock formations contain rich deposits of valuable minerals like coal, limestone, uranium, silimanite etc. Meghalaya has many rivers. Most of these are rainfed and are therefore seasonal. The important rivers in the Garo Hills Region are Daring, Sanda, Bandra, Bhogai, Dareng and Simsang, Nitai and the Bhupai. In the central and eastern section of the plateau the important rivers are Umkhri, Digaru, Umiam, Kynchiang (Jadukata), Mawpa, Umiew or Barapani, Myngot and Myntdu. In the southern Khasi Hills Region, these rivers have created deep gorges and some of the most beautiful waterfalls.
The highest point in Meghalaya is the Shillong Peak which is also a prominent IAF station. in the Khasi Hills overlooking the city of Shillong. It has an altitude of 1961 m. The Garo Hills Region in the western section of the plateau is nearly plain. The highest point in the Garo hills is the Nokrek Peak with an altitude of 1515 m.
Climate
The climate of Meghalaya is moderate but humid. With average annual rainfall as high as 1200 cm in some areas, Meghalaya is the wettest state of India. The western part of the plateau, comprising the Garo Hills region with lower elevations, experiences high temperatures for most of the year. The Shillong area, with the highest elevations, experiences generally low temperatures.
The maximum temperature in this region rarely goes beyond 28 degrees, whereas winters temperatures of sub-zero degrees are common. The town of Cherrapunji in the Khasi Hills south of capital Shillong holds the world record for most rain in a calendar month, while the village of Mawsynram, near town of Cherrapunji, holds the distinction of seeing the heaviest yearly rains.
About one third of the state is forested. The Meghalaya subtropical forests ecoregion encompasses the state; its montane forests are distinct from the lowland tropical forests to the north and south. The forests of Meghalaya are notable for their biodiversity of mammals, birds, and plants.
Economy
Meghalaya is predominantly an agrarian economy. Agriculture and allied activities engage nearly two-thirds of the total work force in Meghalaya. However, the contribution of this sector to the state’s NSDP is only about one-third. Agriculture in the state is characterized by low productivity and unsustainable farm practices, giving rise to a high incidence of rural poverty.
As a result, despite the large percentage of population engaged in agriculture, the state is still dependent upon imports from other states for most food items such as meat, eggs, food grains etc. Infrastructural constraints have also prevented the economy of the state from growing at a pace commensurate with that of the rest of the country.
Meghalaya is considered to have a rich base of natural resources. These include minerals such coal, limestone, silimanite, Kaolin and granite among others. Meghalaya also has a large forest cover, rich biodiversity and numerous water bodies. The low level of industrialization and the relatively poor infrastructure base in the state acts as an impediment to the exploitation of these natural resources in the interest of the state`s economy.
Meghalaya abounds in natural beauty and the state government has been trying to exploit this for promoting tourism in the state. However, infrastructural constraints and security concerns have hampered the growth of tourism in the state.
