Shillong, May 13: Laban-Mawprem MDC Ricky Shullai has proposed that Rev JJM Nichols Roy, known as the Father of the Sixth Schedule, be given a state holiday.
Shullai met with Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma in this regard today and suggested that November 1, the death anniversary of Nichols Roy, be an appropriate date in recognition of his immense constitutional and historical contribution.
Nichols Roy was a member of the Constituent Assembly of India at independence and was one of the principal architects and foremost defenders of the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.
He passed away on November 1, 1959 and has been remembered ever since for his role in creating the Sixth Schedule, which provides protections to the indigenous tribal communities, not just of Meghalaya but in other parts of the country as well.
Nichols Roy worked alongside several national leaders involved in the framing of modern India, including Gopinath Bordoloi, BR Ambedkar, Jawaharlal Nehru and Vallabhbhai Patel. Historical records also note that Nehru visited and was hosted by Nichols Roy at his residence in Qualapatty, Shillong, where discussions relating to the hill areas and constitutional safeguards took place.
