SHILLONG, Sep 8: More voices are being raised against the proposed amendment to the Meghalaya Compulsory Registration of Marriage Act 2012 as the Maitshaphrang Movement has now hinted that the move will completely dilute the basic objective of the Principal Act of 2012 meant to address the increasing number of abandonment of women with children without any child support.
“We demand that the Principal Act be retained and implemented without any further delay in the interest of the state and the abandoned women in particular,” Maitshaphrang Movement convener, Michael N Syiem, said. He also observed that the Supreme Court, on February 14, 2005, had ruled that all governments must ensure that registration of marriages is made compulsory in order to prevent child marriages, bigamy or polygamy, help women exercise their right to maintenance from their husbands among other rights.
Earlier on Tuesday, former Nongkrem MLA Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit had also registered opposition to the proposed amendment to the Act and called the proposed move as an attempt to weaken the legislation and to make it completely redundant and ineffective while urging the government to do away with the proposal.
