Social activist Cherian G Momin sought assent of the Governor to the long-awaited Garo customary law.
Momin met with Governor Chandrashekhar H Vijayashankar yesterday and submitted a memorandum on the subject. He said that the law, which has been formulated and reviewed, has not yet been forwarded to the Governor’s office for the much-awaited assent.
“The Garo Customary Law is not a recent invention but a living and evolving system of indigenous jurisprudence that predates the colonial legal order,” Momin said, adding that the law has guided the people in matters of clan, land, marriage, inheritance, dispute resolution, and social conduct for generations.
He said the law is inherently democratic, inclusive, and in harmony with both nature and society. Its codification and formal enactment serve as an effort to preserve the living heritage from erosion by uniform legal codes that neither reflect nor understand the indigenous consciousness.
Momin stated that due diligence was given by the GHADC and the community to draft the law but the delay in getting an assent has created a legal and social vacuum where traditional practices are often challenged in courts, community decisions are undermined, and younger generations begin to question the relevance of their heritage.
Furthermore, the lack of formal recognition places the Garo people at a structural disadvantage in legal and administrative matters where state laws or modern judicial interpretations conflict with customary mandates. The absence of a formally recognized customary law also emboldens external elements to exploit the ambiguity, particularly in matters relating to land, forest rights, and customary guardianship of sacred sites, he added.
Meanwhile, the social activist also met Chief Minister Conrad Sangma to discuss the urgency to prioritise forwarding the Garo customary law for assent. He also raised the case pertaining to Esther Ngurlienmoi Marak, a candidate listed under the Garo Scheduled Tribe quota in the recent Meghalaya Civil Service (MCS) recruitment conducted by the Meghalaya Public Service Commission (MPSC).
Momin said questions have arisen regarding the authenticity of her caste certificate, which forms the basis for her inclusion in the Garo quota. Reservation policies for Scheduled Tribes are designed to uplift genuine tribal communities and provide equitable opportunities. Any misrepresentation or misuse threatens to undermine the constitutional safeguards intended for these marginalized groups, he added.
He said the Chief Minister has directed the Personal Home Department to conduct a thorough inquiry into the authenticity of the candidate’s documents
A proposal for screening of a documentary film on World War I by Wanphrang Diengdoh at the Tura District Auditorium was also made to the Chief Minister.
