Shillong, Aug 7: A united delegation representing the Synjuk Ki Rangbah Kur: Ka Bri U Hynñiewtrep, a confederation of Khasi clans, met Shemborlang Rynjah, Chief Executive Member (CEM) of the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC), to formally extend its support to the council in connection with the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by Syngkhong Rympei Thymmai (SRT).
The PIL challenges the criteria for issuance of Scheduled Tribe (ST) certificates in Meghalaya, particularly seeking recognition for descendants who inherit their father’s or husband’s surname under a patriarchal system.
The spokesperson for the Synjuk Ki Rangbah Kur, RL Blah, conveyed the support of the affiliated clans to the KHADC in opposing the SRT petition. He emphasised the vital need to safeguard the age-old matrilineal traditions of Khasi society, noting that these customs are intricately woven into various aspects of tribal life—from inheritance and land tenure systems to the election of traditional functionaries, which is mandated to be based on matrilineal clan representation.
Blah cited the legal chaos that followed the 2014 High Court verdict, which had earlier questioned the authority of headmen and village councils.
Addressing the rationale behind SRT’s demand for ST certificate eligibility under patriarchal lineage, cultural commentator Raphael Warjri pointed out that the organisation seeks to reform Khasi customs in alignment with the mainstream ‘general category’ structure of mainland India.
He argued that such aspirations run counter to the spirit of constitutional protections for tribal communities. He further stated that customary law is the product of a society’s collective conscience and should not be diluted by the liberal choices of a minuscule patriarchal minority, especially when they contradict the deeply rooted matrilineal mandate of the Khasi people.
