Meghalaya District Council To Modify Age-Old Matrilineal Inheritance Custom
A district council chief said that due to the custom, not just the boys of the family but even the elder daughters don't get a share in the parental property. This is reportedly led to many problems in the tribal society.
An age-old customary practice of the Khasi tribe in which the youngest daughter of the family inherits the full share of parental is expected to change if the Meghalaya district council's bill gets passed.
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An autonomous body under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) is going to introduce the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Khasi Inheritance of Property Bill, 2021, for “equitable distribution” of parental property among siblings (both male and female) on November 8 during the Council's autumn session.
The Khasi tribe is a matrilineal society where inheritance and descent are traced through the mother’s clan. While speaking to the Indian Express, a KHADC chief said that due to the custom, not just the boys of the family but even the elder daughters don't get a share in the parental property. This is reportedly led to many problems in the tribal society.
The official said, "Many times, boys are not able to take loans because there is no collateral to show. Sometimes, when a couple has no children, and there is no genuine heir, the clan takes over the property, as per custom. It leads to a number of litigations by children against their parents.” The bill soon to be introduced in the Council aims for "equitable distribution". The bill also prevents a sibling from getting parental property if they marry someone outside the Khasi tribe and accept the spouse's customs.
As per reports, the bill aims to bring a significant change in the age-old custom but as per Paragraph 12A of the Sixth Schedule, the right of passing a district council law rests with the state legislature.
The youngest daughter in Khasi community families not only gets the parental property, is made the 'custodian' of the land, but also gets the responsibilities of the aged parents and unmarried or destitute siblings. They are called 'Khatduh' and are prohibited from selling the property with the permission of their maternal uncles. Women activists have argued that custodianship often ends up taking the ownership of the youngest daughter.
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