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27. In Wilson Reade v. C. S. Booth, 14 Ele LR 480: (AIR 1958 Assam 128) a case from the Assam High Court, the father of the appellant was an Englishman who married a Khasi Woman. The appellant had never seen his father. He had from his childhood lived among the Khasis, and excepting a daughter of his, who had married a Bengali and another who married an American, all his children were married to Khasis. The appellant himself had married a Khasi woman. He alleged further that under the practice prevalent among the Khasi Tribal people, any one who was born of a Khasi mother was regarded as a member of the Khasi tribe. The appellant occupied an important position among the Khasis and was a founder member and a member of the executive committee of a political organisation called the "Khasi National Durbar", which came into existence in 1923. He was also a member and treasurer of the District Tribal Union which was a branch of the Eastern India Tribal Union, and an elector and treasurer of the Federation of the Khasi States. He was also a candidate both for the Parliament and the State Legislative Assembly of Assam as a member of the Khasi tribe and had filed his nomination in the last election, and this was accepted.

His nomination for the election in question was rejected and the rejection was upheld by the Tribunal on the ground that he was not a Khasi of pure blood and was an Anglo-Indian and that, at any rate, he had, claiming that he was an Anglo-Indian, enjoyed the privileges of an Anglo-Indian by joining the Auxiliary Force and so forfeited' his right to be regarded as a Khasi. It was held that, on the evidence adduced in the case, the appellant was a member of the Khasi tribes, and that, assuming that the appellant was an Anglo-Indian and had claimed and enjoyed the privileges of an Anglo-Indian, that did not debar him from claiming that he was also a member of the Khasi Tribe and seeking election for the seat reserved for the Khasi tribe.