In the closing years of the British rule in India, a secret plan was conceived and discussed at the highest circles for a crown colony comprising the hill areas of North East India and the tribal areas of Burma. The plan could not be implemented largely because it came up for discussion in the closing years of the British rule over India. The plan has been referred to in many publications. What was of concern was that scholars have made reference to the Crown Colony Plan or Protectorate without reading the actual texts. For too long, secondary references have been used in writing about these plans as the original documents were not easily available for research. This book compiles the four British plans into a single volume. There is a connection between the four plans of Reid, Clow, Mills and Adams. All four were members of the Indian Civil Service, all four served in various capacities in the region and all officers left their accounts or notes perhaps not mindful that even if these were not implemented the notes would come up for discussion many years after their departure.

Table of Contents:

Preface
Acknowledgements
Introduction - David R. Syiemlieh
A Note on the Future of the Present Excluded, Partially Excluded and Tribal Areas of Assam - Sir Robert N. Reid
A Note on the Future of the Hill Tribes of Assam and the Adjoining Hills in a Self-governing India - James P. Mills
The Future Government of the Assam Tribal Peoples - Sir Andrew G. Clow
Some Notes on a Policy for the Hill Tribes of Assam - Philip F. Adams.