4 groups demand Govt to amend Meghalaya Succession to Self Acquired Property (Khasi and Jaintia Special Provision) Act

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaApril 11, 2023

Four social organizations on Tuesday launched a campaign to demand the state government for bringing necessary amendment to the Meghalaya Succession to Self Acquired Property (Khasi and Jaintia Special Provision) Act, 1986 to ensure ‘equitable’ or ‘fair and just’ distribution of property among siblings in a matrilineal society.

A meeting with the different Clans (Kur) from the Khasi and Jaintia Hills region will be organized by the four groups – Maitshaphrang, Khasi Students’ Union, Federation of Khasi-Jaintia and Garo People and Hynniewtrep National Youth Front – at Jaiaw Shyiap Community Hall at 11 am on April 15.

Addressing media persons, Convener of the Maitshaphrang Michael Syiem said the meeting with the different clans will be the first step towards moving ahead with the demand.

“We will try our best to get their (Clans) support. We are calling not only members of the clans but also individuals, both young and old, who are concerned about this issue to come to the meeting and raised any issue which they have so that we can clarify and get their support,” Syiem said while adding that “Once there is public support, we will move the government to bring these amendments.”

The Meghalaya Succession to Self Acquired Property (Khasi and Jaintia Special Provision) Act, 1986 was passed by the State Assembly and received the Governor’s accent in 1986. The Act provides a special provision enabling the Khasis and the Jaintias to dispose of self-acquired property by will to any of their children.

“But when the children inherit this self-acquired property of the parents, it becomes ancestral and this ancestral goes back to the youngest daughter. So we will feel that we need an amendment to this to include self-acquired property and ancestral property as well in this Act,” Syiem said.

“Another amendment we want is that the word ‘equitable’ should also be inserted in this Act so that the parents can equitably will out their property to any of their children not necessarily only to the woman or the younger daughter,” he added.  

When asked, the social activist said, “Equitable does not mean equal. Equitable according to the dictionary means fair and just so it depends on the parents to give to whom and how much. We feel that this word ‘equitable’ should also be inserted in the 1986 Act.”

Syiem said that they have been raising the issue for the last 20 plus years through a lot of street plays, pamphlets and publicity materials.

“Gradually more and more people have come forward especially when we clarify this word as many people misunderstand this word ‘equitable’ as meaning ‘equal’ so this is one point which has cleared the hurdle for many people to come forward and support this initiative,” he added.

Further, Syiem said, “Another point is that we have clarified through this invitation that we are not talking about the ancestral property which belongs to the Clan. Right now we are talking about the ancestral property which comes from the self-acquired property that means the personal self-acquired property of the parents which is inherited by the children and that ancestral property can be willed out to the coming generation.”