Protest against non-implementation of Marriage Registration Act
SHILLONG: Agitated over the inordinate delay by the State government in formulating rules for implementation of the Meghalaya Compulsory Registration of Marriage Act, 2012, Maitshaphrang Movement (MSM) convener Michael N Syiem has decided to sit on an indefinite hunger strike from March 9.
“We have purposely decided to start the hunger strike on March 9 being the first day of the Assembly budget session,” Syiem said on Monday.
According to him, the State Government had assured that it would come up with the rules at the earliest and had informed that the matter was under the examination of the Cabinet.
“The State Government has failed to fulfill on its commitment which was given to us in October last year. Since October, the matter has never some up for discussion despite the Cabinet meeting on four to five occasions,” he said.
The MSM had given a two-month deadline to the government to frame the rules and had warned of going on hunger strike after the expiry of the deadline in October, after which the government had requested MSM to call off its proposed indefinite hunger strike.
“We have been fighting for the implementation of the Marriage Act in the State since 1997. It is really disappointing as several broken families have come up in the absence of a strong marriage law,” Syiem lamented.
Syiem noted that East Khasi Hills Deputy Commissioner Sanjay Goyal, in his speech on the occasion of Child Rights Day, had observed that the most common problems in Meghalaya were single parents and broken homes, but most of people especially public representatives were not willing and not comfortable in discussing these problems.
“A person who is not from the State has been able to understand this problem but our own public representatives are not willing to address this important issue,” Syiem rued.
On being asked, he said that the hunger strike will be launched on the street if a proper venue was not available.
“I will stage the hunger strike alone but will be appealing to the public to support the move,” he added.
