Ex-Nongkrem MLA oppose govt’s move to amend Marriage Act

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaSeptember 7, 2021

Former Nongkrem legislator Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit on Tuesday opposed the state government’s decision to bring a second amendment to The Meghalaya Compulsory Registration of Marriage Act, 2012.

“I strongly object this proposed amendment to The Meghalaya Compulsory Registration of Marriage Act 2012, and I sincerely urge the government to not go ahead with this proposal,” Basaiawmoit said in a letter to the Inspector General of Registration PK Aghahari Agrahari.

The former KHADC chief and convenor of the Revolution Ïada La Ka Ri said that the proposed amendment sought to delete Section 2(j) which defines the term “Official Purposes” and also to delete the portion mention in the preamble of the principal act which says that, “Whereas further it is mandatory for married man and married woman to compulsorily furnish a marriage certificate for all official purposes;”

“In this connection, I would like to mention that the said proposed amendment is only a sheer attempt to weaken this act and to make it completely redundant and ineffective,” he said.

Even the first amendment which was brought to define the meaning of “Official Purposes” by way of inserting a new clause (j) in section 2 was not sufficient and should have been more comprehensive, he added.

The former legislator also reminded that the very purpose of this law is to prevent child marriages, check bigamy or polygamy, help women to exercise their rights of maintenance.

“However, this proposed amendment would defeat the very purpose of this piece of legislation,” he stated.