Editor,
The disturbing news about the Office of the Deputy Commissioner not issuing Scheduled Tribe certificates to children born of Khasi parents (Khasi father and Khasi mother) just because they choose to take their father’s clan name, in all the districts of Khasi hills is discrimination of the highest order. I’m not writing on behalf of some male emancipation groups. In fact I don’t feel the need to join any male emancipation group to be emancipated. I’m writing this letter to show my disapproval of the primitive action of the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council since this is nothing short of denial of basic human rights. Apart from being primitive in nature, this action of the KHADC is also poignantly ridiculous. The ridiculous decision by KHADC to strip away the Khasi identify of Khasis who follow the patrilineal system does not hold water and if it is put to the test in a court of law and if JUDICIAL PRECEDENT is followed, the ill conceived law should be revoked. The decision by KHADC also smacks of illogicality and stupidity since all the tribal groups in North East India follow the patrilineal system. The act is ambiguous when it comes to the identity of Khasis who follow the patrilineal system. If a child born of a Khasi mother and a Khasi father is not a Khasi when he or she takes her father’s clan name (jait) then what is the identity of that child?
Khasi society is degenerating and I feel that we’re living in an era similar to the times when women were treated as second class citizens. The Governor had returned the amended Lineage Act of1997 for reconsideration since one of the issues that concerns him the most is the discrimination embedded in the act against those Khasis who choose to follow the patrilineal system. But instead of righting a wrong, the current dispensation in KHADC seems hell bent on denying a particular section of Khasi society their basic human rights. Actually I don’t want to write about this issue since this is something which is deeply personal to me. But KHADC has left no stone unturned to infuse a sense of fury in me.
As far as I’m concerned, I’m very liberal on this issue. I don’t to want impose my personal views and ideology on anyone. If I ever get married and my future wife is totally against our children taking my clan name, I will definitely take her views into consideration. Imposition of any ideology is the most revolting thing that a human being can do to a fellow human. So my humble request to all the honourable members of KHADC is to stop making a fool of yourselves in front of the whole world. It’s high time that you all realised that we’ve become the laughing stock of the whole country. And my one request to all the members of a particular male emancipation group is to stop imposing your views on the rest of Khasi society. Khasi society can figure out for themselves about the pros and cons of the matrilineal system.
Yours etc.,
Gary Marbaniang,
Via email
CAB will impact North East
Editor,
The Asom Songrami Mancha, a platform of civil society leaders and activists, is preparing to launch a massive stir if the Centre is going ahead with the introduction of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill in Parliament. It has strictly warned the Centre of a great movement bigger than the 1980’s Assam students’ agitation.
The Citizenship Amendment Bill proposes to give citizenship to refugees from minority communities like Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi, and Christian from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan. It may be recalled that the BJP had promised to grant citizenship to Hindus persecuted in the neighboring countries during the 2014 General election. But indigenous people in the state are very apprehensive and vociferous about this granting of citizenship to such a huge number of migrant refugees as this will change the demography of Northeast India.
However, India has always welcomed and has given asylum to all those who have been persecuted but considering the massive number of people of migrant refugees and the country’s economical condition of feeding such thousands of people and providing them the basic facilities, it is better for India to stop giving citizenship to such a great number of people. If the BJP is still adamant, then the Central government can take migrant refugees but the Centre has to rehabilitate them in other states where less density of people is recorded.
The AASU-led Assam agitation was a mass movement against the influx of foreigners, especially from neighboring Bangladesh. It started in 1979 and ended with signing of the Assam Accord in 1985. The Central government taking stock of the situation in the state must discern what is going to happen if they proceed with introduction of the Citizenship Bill in Parliament. Coming events cast their dark shadows. So, sensing the tense situation, the Central government must refrain from introducing the Citizenship Amendment Bill.
Yours etc.,
TK Nandanan,
Via email