SHILLONG, MAY 2: Two persons have surrendered their Scheduled Tribe (ST) certificates after they have been declared as non-Khasis by the Registration Authority of the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) a year ago even as the district screening committee is in the process of cancelling the same.
Varun S Lyngdoh and Sheena S Lyngdoh, who are the children of Shyam Singhania and Pearl S Lyngdoh of Rock Cliff, Cleve Colony, Dhanketi Shillong, surrendered their ST certificates before the Deputy Commissioner of East Khasi Hills District on April 17, last year.
However in view that their ST certificates are yet to be cancelled, a delegation of the Hynniewtrep Youth Council (HYC) today met the Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) I Majaw, who is heading the screening committee, as a follow up on the matter.
Speaking to reporters, HYC general secretary Robertjune Kharjahrin said the delegation was informed that the process is already on for the cancellation of the ST certificates which were issued to the two persons since 2007.
It may be mentioned here that the order of the KHADC’s Registration Authority, which found that Varun and Sheena have failed to fulfill the requirement as per provisions of KHAD (Khasi Social Custom of Lineage) Act, 1997, came following a petition filed by Kharjahrin on January 21, 2016.
The order had also pointed out that in the instant case, both the respondents could not produce a certificate from the traditional village headman or Rangbah Shnong as required and more importantly a certificate from the Rangbah Kur or Head of the Lyngdoh Clan that they belong to the Lyngdoh Clan.
On the other hand, Kharjahrin said based on the complaint lodged with the DC, the screening committee had on April 11 summoned Pearl S Lyngdoh, the mother of Varun and Sheena, to seek clarification on her ST status as well.
“Since she (Pearl) could not appear before the screening committee, she has again been asked to appear on May 30. She has to clarify whether she had taken her father’s title (late RV Lyngdoh) and whether she has the approval of the Lyngdoh clan,” he said while quoting the ADC.
He also urged the Lyngdoh clan to come forward and protest against such attempt to misuse the indigenous clan.
Meanwhile, the HYC general secretary said that the Council will also demand the Deputy Commission to take up a suo motu inquiry into the ST certificates of offsprings from mixed marriages to curb people from other communities using tribal Clan to get various benefits as Scheduled Tribe (ST).
As per Khasi custom the non-Khasi wife of a Khasi husband cannot adopt the surname of the Khasi husband, the Registration Authority had said adding that the offspring of the Khasi father and a non-Khasi mother shall have to adopt a new Jait or Clan by prefixing “Dkhar” or “Khar” to the new Jait or Clan by way of a “Tangjait” ceremony.
Further, Kharjahrin said that the Council will also soon demand the Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council to come with its own Social Custom of Lineage Act to safeguard the rights of tribal people under its jurisdiction.
Asked, the HYC leader said that the misuse of tribal clan is more rampant in the Garo Hills even as he urged the social organizations of the region to also take up this matter seriously.
By Our Reporter
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