SHILLONG, July 8: The Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council on Friday unanimously passed the Khasi Hills Autonomous District (Khasi Social Custom of Clan Administration) Bill, 2022 on the last day of the council’s summer session.
The bill which was re-introduced by KHADC CEM Titosstarwell Chyne on the first day of the session was passed without any debate.
The bill will now be send to the Governor through the District Council Affairs department for approval.
Earlier, Chyne said the bill was first introduced on November 20, 2018 and passed on November 22. The bill was forwarded to the to the Governor for his assent but he returned it to the council on May 9, 2019 for reconsideration, Chyne said.
Following this the advisory committee on law and traditional affairs was constituted to re-examine the bill and advise the executive committee, Chyne said.
He had further said after going through the report of the Advisory Committee, the EC decided that the bill should be recalled and replaced by a fresh bill with some correction/modifications as advised.
“Therefore, to enable the Executive Committee to introduce the KHAD (Khasi Social Custom of Clan Administration) Bill, 2022, the KHAD (Khasi Social Custom of Clan Administration) Bill, 2018 may be recalled),” Chyne added.
“The council is not against people using their father’s surname. But as per the practice, we give our mother’s surname. Therefore, people who give their father’s surname will not come under the purview of this bill,” he had said.
The Bill seeks to penalise non-tribals for using Khasi surnames and codify and regulate the system of Kur (clan) of the Khasi-Jaintia tribe.
It also provides for proper administration of clans in order to conserve and grow the traditional matrilineal system of the Khasi society for the protection of their interest and prevent claims of Khasi status by unscrupulous persons purely for benefits, concessions or privileges conferred on the Khasis for being STs.
