By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Dec 1: Social Welfare Minister, Paul Lyngdoh has termed an official letter saying that a non-Khasi wife can adopt the surname of a Khasi husband as strange.
He said the letter issued by the Social Welfare undersecretary to the deputy commissioners was a misinterpretation of the KHAD (Khasi Social Custom of Lineage) Act of 1997.
“I understand the concern raised by the Hynniewtrep Youth Council in this connection. Strangely, such a notification has been issued,” Lyngdoh told reporters here on Friday.
He said the governor’s nod to a bill passed by the council means the process underwent scrutiny by the state government. “No notification should dilute a piece of legislation,” he said, adding that he has called for the relevant file to be studied.
On Thursday, the KHADC decided to write to the state government to seek the withdrawal of the letter of the undersecretary for alleged misinterpretation of the KHAD (Khasi Social Custom of Lineage) Act, 1997.
“We will write to the state government soon. The council is yet to receive a copy of it but we have been informed about it,” KHADC CEM, Pyniaid Sing Syiem said.
Syiem said the Lineage Act of 1997 clearly defined that the Khasi tribe certificate can be issued to any offspring born out of wedlock of a Khasi father and a non-Khasi mother only after the performance of “Tang Jait”.
He clarified that “Tang Jait” can only be carried out with the offspring, and if a Khasi man has a non-Khasi wife, the wife cannot adopt the Khasi surname since it is against the provisions of the Act.
According to the Act, “Tang Jait” means a ceremony for adopting a Jait (surname) with the prefix of “Dkhar” or simply “Khar” to it for the person or persons born out of a Khasi father and a non-Khasi mother and have been absorbed and assimilated into the Khasi community.
The HYC on Wednesday demanded that the government should withdraw the letter, which states: “The Lineage Act, 1997, does not prohibit the issuance of ST certificate to applicants adopting the surname of either the father or the mother, and the practice of adopting husband’s surname by a non-Khasi wife was also allowed.”