The Khasi Hills District Council and a few other organisations seem overly concerned about how “Property” is divided among the sons and daughters of Khasi parents. The Khasi matrilineal society has not calculatedly vested the youngest girl with the ‘property’ at the cost of her other siblings both boys and girls because at the time society was not upwardly mobile economically. Most families had just one humble dwelling and because the youngest daughter would be the last to marry it is expected that she would dwell in that parental home for all times to come with the unwritten condition that she would also look after her parents for as long as they are alive. The elder siblings had no option but to move out after marriage because there were not enough rooms or privacy in a small dwelling. For as long as the children were unmarried there was no need for them to move out of their parental home. The idea of property is one that came with the British because they believed in the notion of private property and the commodification of land started thereafter.
Councils are custodians of customary practices. What were the customary practices pertaining to property before the British arrived here. Was there a concept of “property” in Khasi society? How was it integrated into the system? If the District Councils are truly serious about equity in property ownership and the elite capture of land they should be bringing in land reforms now. Why are District Councils then shying away from conducting a cadastral survey so that it is established once and for all as to how many among Khasis actually own property and how many are landless. The issue of landlessness among the Khasi Jaintia community is a more serious and challenging one as it will determine whether the Khasi society is really a classless society that believes in inclusivity and shared property resources. The notion of common property which is how societies began their journey here in these hills has now given way to private ownership models.
The Councils should find out how many Khasi families actually own property? Are there records? If Councils are concerned with the real mandate of the 6th Schedule they should ask themselves what they are doing to address landlessness and extreme poverty among the people they are elected to serve. Councillors must be connected to the people and not be enticed by the VIP culture that defines the governed today. When JJM Nichols Roy asked for special protection for the tribes he did not imagine that a time would come when the very tribes he was trying to seek protection for would be so divided by class – the haves and have nots. This is an issue which if not addressed would have serious consequences for the society.