Tribal Affairs Minister's son ceases tribal status in Meghalaya

Shillong, Feb 4 (UNI) The Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) today ruled that Union Tribal Affairs Minister P R Kyndiah's son Waibha K Kyndiah had ceased to be a ''tribal Khasi''.

According to a KHADC statement, the registration authorities passed the order, after a local NGO "Ka Seng Tip Kur Tip Kha U Khasi" filed a complaint that junior Kyndiah ceased to be a Khasi according to Section 10 of the KHADC (Khasi Social Custom of Lineage) Act 1997.

'' Waibha K Kyndiah has violated Section 3 of the Act and according to Section 10 he ceases to be a Khasi, '' the KHADC registration authorities stated in the order.

According to sacked chief executive member of KHADC H S Shylla, junior Kyndiah had violated Section 10 of the Khasi Social Custom of Lineage, Act 2005, which stated that if any person changed the surname deviating from the prevailing practice of taking the surname of one's mother, he or she will cease to be a member of the Khasi Scheduled Tribe.

Mr Shylla, who was sacked last week from the top post of KHADC, said Mr Waibha Kyndiah was ''not a tribal'' after taking his father P R Kyndiah's surname, violating the Khasi matrilineal system.

In Meghalaya, the Khasi, Jaintia and Garo communities follow the matrilineal system wherein the surname is traced from the mother's side.

Mr Shylla also claimed that junior Kyndiah cannot contest the Assembly elections from Nongkrem constituency, as he ceased to be a member of the Khasi Scheduled Tribe by incorporating his father's surname.

Nongkrem constituency is reserved seat for indigenous people of the state.

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