SHILLONG, OCT 24: The Grand Council of Chiefs of Meghalaya (GCCM) said there is an urgent need for ‘codification’ and ‘recognition’ of over 3000 Khasi Pnar Clan Dorbar by the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC).
“We urged for urgent codification and recognition by introducing and legislating the ‘KHADC Khasi Pnar Clan Dorbar (Dorbar Kur or Seng Kur) Bill, 2013’ in the interest of regulating the 3365 Khasi Pnar Clans as per census 1981 by Spiton Kharakor,” GCCM chairman John F Kharshiing said in a letter to KHADC Chief Executive Member (CEM) Pynshngainlang N Syiem on Thursday.
Kharshiing said, “We need effective acts, rules and regulation to enable proper notification of the competent authority of the respective clan dorbar or dorbar kur or seng kur.”
According to Kharshiing after many generations, a number of disputes have arisen relating to nomination by Clan Dorbars which are entitled to hold the office of Syiem, Lyngdoh, Sirdar, Myntri, Wahadar, Basan, Syiem Raid, Lyngdoh Raid, Dolloi and others in the 54 Hima and Elaka’s in Khasi Hills and 18 Dolloi and one Sidarship in Jaintia Hills.
“We find that some disputes have even reached the door step of the Supreme Court and High Courts and this shows that the clan dorbar is very vibrant but at the same time need urgent recognition of their respective constitutions so as to have the force of law as per Para 11 of the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution of India,” Kharshiing said.
Stating that although the various 21 KHADC Appointment and Succession, Administration Acts, Rules, Regulation passed by the KHADC has mentioned and defined by naming the various offices within a Hima/Elaka, Kharshiing, however, said, “There is an urgent need to also further codify and define the specific role, function and responsibilities of the Syiem, Lyngdoh, Sirdar, Myntri and other traditional heads as without these codification the various Acts, Rules and Regulation become ineffective.”
Kharshiing also suggested that these traditional heads should annually present a report to their respective Clan Dorbar in their Annual Clan Dorbar or Dorbar Kur since their responsibilities vis-a-vis the Clan Dorbar or Seng Kur is yet to be defined.
Kharshiing felt that if the proposed Bill if considered it should look into the various aspects, such as the ‘sacrosanct’ blood relationship between the Clans held till date by the Khasi Pnar which bars inter-marriage, the issue of ‘Matrilineal’ is also being questioned by quarters where we find some families and their children have adopted their father’s clan, and hence these doubts and challenges are coming up in absence of effective codification, recognition, awareness and legislation.
“The need for such codification is becoming more apparent in view of the need for notifying and identification of the competent authority under the respective clan dorbar authorized to issue identity cards, no-objection certificates for the purpose of obtaining the Schedule Tribe Certificates,” Kharshiing added. – By Our Reporter
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