The birth of Meghalaya, first as an autonomous state in April 1970, was the result of the Hill State Movement. It was the decision of the then Assam chief minister, B.P. This conference of leaders and volunteers spearheaded the Hill State Movement resulting in the creation of Meghalaya. Chaliha’s bill was seen by the people from the hills as an attempt to assimilate them into the Assamese community. The fundamentally non-violent Hill State Movement in the 1960s and which continued till 1972, was unified by the phrase “No hill state, no rest”.

Source: The Telegraph January 20, 2019 18:58 UTC