SHILLONG: Convenor of Maitshaphrang Movement, Michael Syiem wrote to Chief Minister Conrad Sangma on proposed amendment to the Meghalaya Compulsory Registration of Marriage Act, 2012.
It may be mentioned that the government on the first day of the Autumn Session of the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly has introduced a bill to amend the Act wherein the term official purposes is defined.
Syiem said that by redefining the term “official purposes” from its original definition “for all official purposes”, he sought a clarification whether by this amendment the Act will cover only those in the government service thereby leaving out the vast majority of men and women outside the government sector, especially those women living under the poverty line who are the main victims of this unjust system, and who are in need of protection under this law.
He stated that when this law was in the drafting stage, the Law department had invited all concerned individuals, groups and institutions to give their views and suggestions in the making of this law which resulted in the inclusion of this very important clause, “to make the marriage registration certificate mandatory for all official purposes” so that every man and women in the state who wishes to get married must compulsorily register their marriage as per the provisions of the Act irrespective of whether they are government employees or not.
Syiem has urged the chief minister to invite all stakeholders before any decision to amend the act is taken so that law can be fine tuned.
