By Melarbor L Thabah
As a fervently proud “Biologist”, I am pro scientific facts neither pro Matrilineal or Patrilineal. I am staunchly against prejudiced laws. Up to my knowledge, the issue all started when the former KHADC EC in 2024 got the amended Lineage Act assented allegedly with a clause(s) which stated that Khasi couples whose children bears the father’s surname will no longer be officially recognized as Khasi even though both parents belong to the Khasi race. Hence, the Schedule Tribe (ST) certificate will no longer issued to them thus depriving such children of acquiring scholarships, job – education reservation, business plus other benefits which entails in having an ST certificate simply because these couples did not follow the long held cultural tradition of giving surnames of the children to their mother.
Making of sense of this Act- When both parents are Khasi, carry the unblemished Khasi genes most prominently in rural areas, their family tree carrying the genetic traits of ancestral pedigree DNA – Chromosomes when traced back to their Lineage were all Khasi, their genes expressed genotypically (genetic makeup) and phenotypically (external make up) appear Khasi in both cases with the scientific genetic pedigree of their ancestral lineage are Khasi; yet these scientific facts are all together negated and denied the ST status since they do not follow the matrilineal system for which this amended act purportedly seem to state. Inversely, Khasi women can have children with persons belonging to any race in India and the world at large with her resultant children phenotypically resembling their father and also carrying his genetic traits, genotypically, via the dominant genes of the father thereby transmitting those genes to untainted pure blood Khasi women whom they have children along with their genotypes and phenotypes to be passed on through many lineage generations will be recognized as Khasi and bestowed the ST Certificate because they follow the matrilineal system. As a result of such unions, we will have a new breed of Khasi race progenies carrying the phenotypic and genotypic traits of the many races of the world to be passed on through the ages but this however, represents no threat to our identity on the estimated 10 lakh Khasi race since they follow the matrilineal system and will get the all-important ST (Khasi) Certificate as what this amended Act allegedly tends to suggest. Shouldn’t the same yardstick apply to all? Point to ponder. The KHADC has no firm locus standi with the 2024 EC singing a different tune from the erstwhile 2018EC.
“Tang Jait / Surname Adoption” Paradox: In furtherance, a Khasi man who has children with a Non – Khasi woman will have to take up the surname “Sweep or Khar” before his original surname or take up an entirely new surname altogether thus creating many numbers of surnames adding to more surname to this estimated 10 lakhs only Khasi race confusion to the “Tang Kur” since Khasis sharing the same surname cannot marry. However, a Bhoi man, who is a Khasi can wed a non-Khasi with the children taking up his surname which is paradoxical since if it applies to him who is a Khasi man then it should apply to all Khasi men. Inversely, a Khasi woman who weds a Non – Khasi man can retain her original surname for her children even though her children genotypically and phenotypically resembles their father because of the dominant paternal genes traits versus the mother in ninety percent of the cases.
Faith: Biblically, a case had been made that the lineage of descent from David down through to his ancestral family pedigree tree to Jesus Christ were found to take up the father’s surname which is why the Christian and Muslim world take up the father’s surname. It is a “weak emotional argument” with no scientific basis whatsoever for making a strong genuine case.
Scientific Basis Approach: Respected and recognized European and American scientific research journals publications with very high impact factor like Nature, Scientific American, Genetics, Molecular Genetics, Lancet and many others have shown that the dominant traits; phenotypically and genotypically are generally carried and expressed from the paternal side in the majority of cases. We have also seen from progenies of mixed marriages, that the children resemble their father. I am not stating that DNA tests be conducted, but what I am stating is that when the lineage or genealogy is all Khasi then what is the problem? Now when there is doubt about the lineage pedigree of the child/children child in absence of the father in out of wedlock cases then such tests which are not general can be asked for by the court or district administration.
Pertinent Legal Rulings: When the Ayodhya dispute was finally decided by the Supreme Court, Archaeological evidence constituted the bulk of the substantial scientific evidence which formed the basis for its ruling. Corollary to the former, DNA encompassing genes, their expression, chromosomes, dominant and weak traits, phenotype and genotype must be foundation for making a case since the genetic characters carried by the progenies emanating from a mixed couple consummation will produce an entirely new lineage breed of Khasi people. When compared with all the indigenous tribes in North East India which take up their father’s surname, the women belonging to the sepatrilineal communities would have to rethink many times to bear children from men not belonging to their race because they will be denied the ST status thus protecting the pedigree “Lineage” of their “Vulnerable Race” unlike us where mix marriages can be carried forthright since the children bear the mother’s original surname and attains the ST certificate though these progenies genotypically – phenotypically are different from pure Khasi lineage pedigreed children.
Logical Conclusion: Based on the scientific DNA foundation juxtaposed with the Fundamental Right to life, liberty, choice, belief, privacy, thought, decision, expression that couples who want their children to adopt the father’s surname must be accorded those some fundamental rights which should be recognized and not be grossly infringed upon as it purportedly appears from the amended Lineage Act 2024. This is an imposition of the tyranny of the majority against the minorities’ right to privacy of the couple to exercise their fundamental freedoms of their thought, belief, expression and decision on whom to grant the surname of their children. I most emphatically with all my heart and soul do not vilify Khasi women who procreate with non-Khasi men but simply aspire for the “Status Quo” to be maintained as before.
(The article is in no way an attempt to influence the decision to this ongoing dispute at the High Court but a suggestion and a solution for looking at an amicable settlement. The views of the writer are his own and does not necessarily reflect the views of Highland Post)
