The Khasi community is on the cusp of a major change. It has been mulling over inheritance reforms to streamline the distribution of share in ancestral and self-acquired property. As is the tradition, the parental property rights are inherited by the youngest daughter in the family. Hence, the matrilineal society discussing distribution of share in property to sons, is a major reform.

 

 

 

P N Syiem, Deputy Chief Executive Member (CEM), Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC); Lamphrang Blah, Chairman; and Fanting Lakadong, Executive Member, revealed this in an interaction with a select group of senior journalists from Maharashtra visiting Shillong recently. During the interaction, Syiem said that the draft of the Khasi Inheritance of Property Bill, was ready. “Once it is passed by the District Council, it will become a law as per the powers vested in it regarding the Khasi tribals. However, given the fact that ours is a matrilineal society, we will need time for change to award some share of property to sons as part of the reforms,” he said. According to him, the Bill may take a year to be passed.

 

The Bill was first tabled in 2021. However, owing to difference of viewpoints and certain suggestions given by the Select Committee constituted to scrutinise it, some amendments were carried out to make the Bill legally sound. The primary objective of the Bill is to streamline the distribution of share in ancestral and self-acquired property to sons in the family. However, as the KHADC members pointed out, it was not mandatory that sons would be entitled to all the property. It would depend on the will of the parents choosing the heir to their property. The objective is not to disempower women, but to ensure that sons in the family are not deprived of the inheritance share in property. For quite some time, there has been demand in this regard from the Khasi men, Syiem said. Of course, he added, the tradition of parental property rights vested in the youngest daughter would continue.

 

The visiting journalists from Maharashtra also visited Smit seat of Hima Khyrim kingdom. Dr Balajied Singh Syiem, Chieftain of Hima Khyrim; Batriti Syiem, Queen; Habapan Singh Syiem, Deputy Chieftain, presided over the two-day Nongkhrem festival, which is the festival of harvest. They watched the traditional dances and artists playing traditional musical instruments, and honoured them at the end of the ceremony. As Sarang Pophale, Deputy Director, Doordarshan, Shillong, told mediapersons, King’s wife was not Queen in Khasi tribe. Rather, King’s sister was the Queen. Her son becomes the king and daughter becomes the Queen in the matrilineal system. Queen Mother commands a great respect in the society. Panhok Shilla, son of the King of Hima Khyrim, interacted with mediapersons.

 

When the subject of reforms was broached during the interaction, Panhok Shilla said that a section of males in the society felt disempowered because of matrilineal tradition of inheritance. “Hence, it appears that the District Council has started discussion on the matter. Reforms will come up, but how....it will be decided by the society. There is another issue also -- of women seeking greater representation in the Dorbar Shnong or Village Council. A healthy debate is going on regarding reforms on both counts. Already the process has started in a way, in a limited way, through some rulings by Hima Khyrim, which allow women to participate in elections choosing the Rangbah Shnong or Village Headman. So, we appear to be on the cusp of change”, he elaborated. ***********