Shillong, Aug 14: The Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) on Tuesday decided to fine-tune the second amendment Bill to the Khasi Social Custom of Lineage Act, 1997 to ensure that Khasi women who marry non-Khasi men take the surname of the husband not from the mother.

In order to facilitate the fine-tuning of the Bill, the Executive Committee of the KHADC decided to recall its second amendment bill from the state government.

At present, the District Council Affairs department is studying the second amendment Bill that seeks to deny the Khasi status to Khasi women who marry men outside the tribe. Children of such wedlock would also lose their Khasi status and other privileges.

Chief Executive Member of the Council, Hispreaching Son Shylla told reporters that “Khasi women who marry non-Khasi men should also take the surname of their husband and the children also should take the surname of their non-Khasi father.”

It may be mentioned the Khasi Social Custom of Lineage (Second Amendment) Bill, 2018 was passed by the KHADC on July 25 by amending the principal act – Khasi Social Custom of Lineage, 1997.

Sub-section 3 (d) states in the second Amendment Bill states that “any Khasi woman who marries a non-Khasi as well as her offspring(s) born out of such marriage(s) shall be deemed as non-Khasi who shall lose the Khasi status and all privileges and benefits as a member of the Khasi tribe who cannot claim preferential privileges under any law.”

Shylla said that the executive committee would write to the Meghalaya government to send back the second amendment bill to the Council for fine-tuning it especially to insert a clause that will specifically state that a Khasi woman who entered into wedlock with men outside the Khasi tribe, she and her children would also lose the privilege to take the surname from the mother, but should take the surname of her husband.

Shylla said that the Executive Committee will write to the state government on Thursday to request it to send back the second amendment bill to the Council for fine-tuning it.

Shylla said that in rural areas, restricting Khasi women from entering into wedlock with men outside the tribe has been a customary practice, and claimed that majority of the people appreciated the KHADC for bringing the second amendment bill.

“The amendment bill is more like a codification of the customary practice,” Shylla said.

Stating that there was nothing wrong in preserving and protecting the minor tribe like the Khasi, Shylla said, “Article 29 of the Constitution on protection of interests of minorities also states that any section of citizens residing in the territory of India or any part thereof is having a distinct language, script or culture of its own, have the right to conserve those”.

A consultative committee for fine-tuning the second amendment bill would be also constituted.

Meanwhile Shylla informed that the Executive Committee also decided to recall the first Amendment Bill passed in 2015 for “wrongly” inserting a clause related to the process of appointing a clan elder (Rangbah Kur).

“This clause in the first Amendment Bill should be deleted and we should come up with a Khasi Clan Bill on the appointment of Rangbah Kur (clan elder), as well as registration of all clans,” Shylla said.

On penalty clause, Shylla said that the clause should be amended since it is so easy to pay a fine of just Rs 5000 by violators of the act especially after earning crores of rupees from such marriage.

KHADC approves creation of Council of Traditional Chiefs and Headmen

Shillong, Aug 14: An Executive Committee of the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) on Tuesday decided to create the Council of Traditional Chiefs and Headmen (CTCH) so that traditional chiefs and headmen of various villages come under this umbrella.

KHADC chief executive member, H.S. Shylla said that the executive committee has approved an executive order for the creation of the CTCH as per paragraph 2 section 7 (a) of the Sixth Schedule.

He said that all traditional chiefs and headmen within the jurisdiction of the Council should come under this CTCH and they should not associate with any other self style organization led by some individuals.

Some umbrella organizations like the Grand Council of Chiefs of Meghalaya and Synjuk ki Nongsynshar Shnong ka Bri Hynñiewtrep (SNSBH) have been floated by a group of individuals and took up issues related to traditional chiefs and headmen.

“Since the CTCH has been created through an executive order, traditional chiefs and headmen within the jurisdiction of the KHADC should come together and discuss issues in the Council. The Council will also play the role as advisory to the Executive Committee on matters related to traditional chiefs and headmen,” Shylla said.