INSTRUMENT OF ACCESSION (IOA)

• A tribal council in Meghalaya has called for a meeting of traditional heads to revisit the Instrument of Accession that made the Khasi domain a part of the Indian Union more than seven decades ago.
• The need to revisit the Instrument of Accession and Annexed Agreement was stressed by leaders in the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC). According to them, it is important to understand the paragraphs of the agreement, since many provisions are missing from the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.
• The Federation of Khasi States had sought special status, like Nagaland has under Article 371A, which protects socio-religious and customary practice of nagas with right to administration of civil & criminal justice as per Naga Customary laws.
• Under Article 371A, Nagas also enjoys ownership and transfer of land and its resources.
• Recently, introduced the ‘Khasi Inheritance of Property Bill, 2021might have infuriated few leaders of KHADC, as an interference to social and customary practices of Khasi people. The bill called for “equitable distribution” of parental property among siblings in the Khasi community.
• The KHADC said the provisions can be added to the Sixth Schedule, which “can be amended by Parliament”. 

IoA

• The Instrument of Accession was a legal document first introduced by the Government of India Act 1935 and used in 1947 to enable each of the rulers of the princely states under British paramountcy to join one of the new dominions of India or Pakistan created by the Partition of British India.
• The instruments of accession executed by the rulers, provided for the accession of states to the Dominion of India (or Pakistan) on three subjects, namely, defence, external affairs and communications.
• IoA with the Khasi hills state was signed with the Dominion of India between 15th December, 1947, and 19th March, 1948.
• Meghalaya is divided into three regions dominated by as many matrilineal communities – the Khasis, Garos and Jaintias.
• The Khasi hills straddle 25 Himas or States that formed the Federation of Khasi States.
• The conditional treaty with these States was signed by Governor General of India, Chakravarty Rajagopalachari on 17th August, 1948.

SOURCE: THE HINDU,THE ECONOMIC TIMES,MINT