Regarding a subject close to its heart, the Syngkhong Rympei Thymmai (SRT) has informed the public that there is no prohibition on Khasis who carry their father’s surname from receiving Scheduled Tribe certificates.
The SRT has been pushing for greater acceptance within the matrilineal Khasi society of adopting the father’s surname.
In a notification in 2020, the Social Welfare Department said that Khasis who carry their father’s surname can be entitled to ST status and certificates if they meet other criteria.
The move was hotly debated and Social Welfare Minister Kyrmen Shylla largely washed his hands of the decision, saying that it was up to the respective Deputy Commissioners to take the decision as to whether to issue an ST certificate or not.
Recently, SRT president Teibor Khongjee filed a Right to Information (RTI) request, to which the East Khasi Hills DC’s office responded that it is not required for a person who has adopted their father’s surname to first obtain a no-objection certificate (NOC) from the relevant Seng Kur.
In fact, the response to the RTI said that the Seng Kur are not constitutionally empowered to issue clan certificates at all.
