Land and Law of Meghalaya

Meghalaya, the “Abode of Clouds” is known as the Switzerland of North-East India, is inhabited by three major tribes – the Khasis, the Jaintias, and the Garos. The state geographically occupies an important place due to its location on Indo-Bangladesh border. This book includes the pre-history, British administrative policy applied in the state and the administrative system of Khasis, Jaintias, and Garos including the soil survey and mapping and preservation of soils for the benefit of the people of the state in particular and the country in general. Because land belongs to nature, which is said to be the free gift from the God. The land and all things therein are the general property of the mankind. Here, emphasis has been given on land use system in Meghalaya its classification & utility for the interest of the people of Meghalaya in particular and the mankind in general. Also endeavor has been made to the communities of the state under Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, which is said to be the “Life Jacket for the Tribals”. This book covered all the relevant issues of the state of Meghalaya from pre-history period to the present state of Meghalaya, which will useful for the students, scholars, professionals as well as for revenue administration in particular and the entire North-East in general.

Dr. Manjushree Pathak is an Advocate at the Gauhati High Court in Assam. She graduated from Cotton College and obtained her Masters in Law as well as her Doctorate in Law from Gauhati University. She is the first woman in the entire North-East region to achieve a Doctorate degree in Law. Dr. Pathak has previously served as the Principal of Dispur Law College in Guwahati and has also taught for a brief period at Gauhati University, Department of Law. She was a columnist for “Woman and Legal Awareness” in “Pubali,” an Assamese magazine. Additionally, she was involved in various activities aimed at uplifting the downtrodden in society. She is a hardworking woman with a strong determination to achieve her goals while maintaining a smooth family life with her children. Her daughter is a Fulbright Scholar from New York State University, USA, and both her son and daughter-in-law are also Master’s degree holders in law. Now she works in the “Land and Law” of all the North-Eastern states: Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, and Tripura. She has already completed work in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, and Manipur. There are already around fourteen publications in English and Assamese, which have received a good response from both professional and general readers, in addition to this work.