A commemorative postage stamp on the Birth Anniversary of James Joy Mohan Nichols–Roy, an Indian politician :

Issued by India

Issued on Jun 12, 2009

Issued for : Department of Posts is proud to issue a commemorative postage stamp on Rev. J.J.M. Nichols Roy.

Credits :
Stamp, FDC & Cancellation : Nenu Gupta

Type : Stamp, Mint Condition

Colour : Multi Colour

Denomination : 500 Paise

Stamps Printed : 0.4 Million

Printing Process : Photogravure

Printer : India Security Press, Nashik

Name : James Joy Mohan Nichols Roy

Born on Jun 12, 1884

Died on Nov 1, 1959

About : 

• Rev. James Joy Mohan Nichols Roy was born at Mawsyiarwait Shella, confederacy on the 12^th of June 1884. Rev. J.J.M. Nichols Roy studied at Lba High School but his studies were disrupted because of devastating earthquake in 1887. Later Rev. J.J.M. Nichols Roy completed his entrance examination from Shillong Government High School in 1889. Afterwards, he went to Kolkata for higher studies and successfully accomplished his B.A. degree in 1904.
• Rev. J.J.M. Nichols Roy became a Member of the Assam Legislative Council between 1921-1946 and was again elected to Assam Legislative Assembly in 1946.
• The Assam Legislative Assembly elected Rev. J.J.M. Nichols Roy as one of the ten members to represent Assam in the Constituent Assembly from 1946 to 1949.
• When India was marching towards independence, the political future of the North Eastern Region particularly the hill area became a question mark. On the one hand, some of the British bureaucrats, with the help from interested locals, sought to turn North Eastern Region into a Protectorate, a virtual Crown Colony, on the other, many of the leaders in India did not care to understand the special nature of the region and the people, and sought to steamroll a solution that would flatten out all tribal identities and extinguish cultural singularities. They were vociferous about binding up the entire region into a single state, homogenous with other neighbouring states of the Indian Union.
• Both viewpoints were extreme, portending danger for the stability by the region. Rev. J.J.M. Nichols Roy, a visionary par excellence, was enlightened enough to see the political reality, and with his skill for persuasion convinced his people that their best interest lay in being part of the Indian Union. With passionate conviction he also prevailed upon the constitution makers in the Constituent Assembly to give a special status to the tribal people if the country’s larger interest was to be served. The result was conferring status of autonomous District Councils to the North Eastern Region.
• His leadership and wisdom, his closeness to national leaders particularly Mahatma Gandhi and Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, gave his people a feeling of security and identification with the national movement.
• Rev. J.J.M. Nichols Roy‘s stand for the cause of tribal identity was forthright and courageous. Although he was a Khasi tribal, his cause was for the greater good of all the tribals in the region and of the entire nation. Public Service was, to him a fusion of social, economic and spiritual services.
• Rev. J.J.M. Nichols Roy passed away on 1^st November 1959.
• Text : Based on material provided by the proponent.

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