SHILLONG: The Mait Shaphrang Movement (MSM) has decided to put on hold its proposed hunger strike to express its disappointment over the failure of the State Government to come up with the rules for implementation of the Meghalaya Compulsory Registration of Marriage Act, 2012 despite the passage of two years since the law was enacted.
“We have decided to give some more time to the State Government to finalise the marriage rules. At the moment, we have decided to put our proposed hunger strike on hold,” MSM convener Michael Syiem told newsmen here on Monday.
Earlier, the MSM had announced that they will go ahead with their hunger strike in protest against the delay in framing of the rules.
In August, Syiem had given the government a two-month deadline to frame the rules for the implementation of the Act.
Lambasting the government for not having its priorities right, he said that with numerous broken families in the State, immediate implementation of the Act is a must. “But this would not happen without the rules in place,” he said.
Syiem also said that broken marriages in the State have led to higher dropout rates. “We have many young widows and divorcees in Shillong and everywhere else in the State because there is no Act to bind the males to be responsible towards their families.”
The MSM convener said that MSM has been fighting since 1997 for implementation of the marriage act in the State and expressed disappointment over the inordinate delay in framing of the rules.
Syiem also said that the government should constitute family courts to settle maintenance cases since the regular courts are overburdened with cases. He also advocated for pre marriage counseling and said that strong families bring about a stronger society.