Need for proper records stressed upon misuse of clan names

SHILLONG: Langrin Congress MDC Manstudy Nongrem stressed on the need to maintain proper records of all Khasi Kur or Jaid (clan or title) in different villages and Elakas under the jurisdiction of the KHADC.
“There are serious confusion due to lack of proper records of all Khasi clan and title,” Nongrem while moving a motion on this issue during the second day of the Council budget session here on Thursday.
He said that there are many cases where the brothers and sisters of the same family give two different titles.
“We have found that they either adopt their father or mother title. This kind of cases creates a lot of confusion,” Nongrem said.
He however said that there are many cases where it is found that a person has a Khasi title despite both their father and mother being non-tribals.
“I have a person in my constituency who gave his title as Shylla despite both his parents being Nepali. This is also putting a serious threat to our existing customs and tradition. The Council should step in to check this kind of cases,” Nongrem said.
Langrin Congress MDC said that there are many Khasi titles at present which are never heard off.
“People are taking advantage by prefixing the word Khar in many of the titles. This kind of things cannot be overlooked by the Council since it is a threat to the genuine local indigenous people,” Nongrem said.
He also observed that there are many who are spelling the titles in two different ways like Kharshandi and Kharshandy, Jengap and Jeengaps, Reenbon and Reenborn which have allowed many of the non-indigenous people to misuse this title.
Pointing out that if the Council does not check this trend, he fears that a situation might reach one day where there will be marriage between members of the same family.
“It will be one of the darkest days of the Khasi indigenous tribes if this happens,” Langrin Congress MDC said.
Participating in the motion, Mawlai MDC Process T Sawkmie MDC said that the Council needs to go slow before initiating the exercice to have a proper record of the Khasi clan or jaid.
“We need to understand the pulse of the people before taking any decision on this matter since it is a very sensitive issue,” Sawkmie said.
While suggesting on the need to hold a seminar to deliberate on this matter, he also urged upon the Council to invite the various traditional heads including Syiem, Sordar and Rangbah Shnong to discuss this issue.
In his reply, Executive Member in charge Elaka KP Pangngiang said that the Executive Committee (EC) would examine the proposal.
“We have to go slow before arriving on any decision since this is a very sensitive matter,” Pangngiang added.