The Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council in Meghalaya has laid down the “conditions” to be a Khasi while giving a six-month deadline to those who have drawn their lineage from the father to return to the matrilineal system.

According to the Khasi Hills Autonomous District (Khasi Social Custom of Lineage) (First Amendment) Bill, 2018, a Khasi, among others, should observe and be governed by Khasi customs of matrilineal system, laws of inheritance and succession, laws of consanguinity and kinship and customs of marriage.

The Khasi Custom of Lineage, according to the bill, means a customary practice by which any Khasi person takes his or her clan from the mother and follows the matrilineal system.

The Khasi Custom of Marriage has been defined as one based on the principle of tip kur, tip kha (to know and to abide by one’s maternal and paternal kinship) in Khasi society involving two different clans not related by any bond of consanguinity where a Khasi man from a clan following a matrilineal system enters into marriage or has married a Khasi woman from the other clan in a matrilineal system.

The offspring of Khasi women or Khasi men who violate the Khasi custom of marriage or custom of lineage will not be identified as a Khasi.

The amendment bill was tabled on Thursday by council chief executive member H.S. Shylla on the first day of the two-day special session.

The bill has specifically mentioned that any Khasi who takes the clan title of his father for himself or his children will not longer be a Khasi and he and or his children will be disqualified from all privileges, status and benefits as a Khasi.

However, if the bill becomes a law, they can, within a period of six months, file an application to revert to the matrilineal system of marriage.

The bill provides that all Khasis should possess a tribe certificate and clan certificate. Those who apply for a Scheduled Tribe status would have to compulsorily attach a valid tribe certificate and clan certificate.