Shillong, Sep 22: The Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) will soon introduce a Bill to codify and regulate indigenous marriages and live-in relationships, empowering Rangbah Shnong to register such unions.
The announcement was made by EM in-charge Law, Deity H Majaw, at a consultation on Implementation of Meghalaya Compulsory Registration of Marriage Act, 2012, organised by Meghalaya State Commission for Women with National Commission for Women at State Convention Centre on Tuesday.
Majaw said while the Council has codified the United Khasi-Jaintia Hills District (Christian Marriage) Act, 1954 and has jurisdiction for Christian marriages and divorce under Indian Divorce Act, “for indigenous marriages, the judiciary of the District Council does not have any jurisdiction.”
She said KHADC has held consultations with judges and experts to codify laws to deal with customary marriages and live-ins.
“In a few months, the KHADC is going to introduce a Bill, with one of its ingredients being to regulate live-in relationships. We also want to empower the Rangbah Shnong to register these kinds of marriages,” she said.
Majaw said many cases before the Women’s Commission involve rural women seeking maintenance from deserted husbands who know nothing about the 2012 Act. “Due to ignorance, a woman gets married to two or three husbands, a man gets married to many women, and there is no law to bind them,” she said.
Maitshaphrang Movement leader Michael Syiem said the 2012 Act was diluted by the Amendment Act of March 30, 2022 which deleted the crucial provision making marriage certificates mandatory for all official purposes.
“Ever since the amendment in 2022, the Act exists only on paper… more or less a paper tiger,” Syiem said, urging the Commission to help define “official purposes” on the lines of ST certificate requirements.
Earlier, Marriage Registrar, East Khasi Hills, T Marwein said marriage registration has been made online in the district through the government portal.
