In August 1947, as India took the final steps towards becoming an independent nation, numerous actors thronged the chessboard in the northeast of the country, contemplating their moves. Among them was the Governor of Assam, Sir Muhammad Saleh Akbar Hydari, who initiated talks with the respective princely states and ethnic dominions of the northeast, including the Naga Hills, Khasi Hills and Mizo Hills. 

Tracing various documents and correspondences, reporter and author Josy Joseph reconstructs the history of how the northeast states — present-day Tripura, Mizoram, Nagaland, Meghalaya and Manipur — were stitched into the fabric of the new nation. 

Credits:

Akshay Ramuhalli, Bijoy Venugopal, Bruce Lee Mani, Narayan Krishnaswamy, Prashant Vasudevan, Sananda Dasgupta, Seema Seth, Seetal Iyer, Shraddha Gautam, Supriya Joshi, and Velu Shankar

Acknowledgements:

Thanks to Confluence Media for the Letters in this episode.

Muhammad Saleh Akbar Hydari Letter to Pt. Nehru performed by Ranvijay Pratap Singh

YouTube | Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru’s speech — Tryst with Destiny

Audios excerpted from:

NCAA Vol X

NCAA — Bamboo Dance of Mizoram

NCAA Vol V

YouTube | Tripura folk song