Toeing the line of Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC), the two other self-governing bodies in Meghalaya are striving to pass a bill that proposes to strip women of their tribal status upon marriage to a man outside the community.
The councils also want to debar constitutional rights of children born out of the wedlock between a tribal woman and an outsider.
The hill state of Meghalaya is divided into three autonomous councils - Khasi, Jaintia and Garo.
The KHADC had passed the Khasi Hills Autonomous District (Khasi Social Custom of Lineage) (Second Amendment) Bill in July to "protect the lineage and indigenousness" of its tribe in the districts of East Khasi Hills, West Khasi Hills, South West Khasi Hills and Ri Bhoi.
Former governor Ganga Prasad, however, returned the bill for a thorough deliberation.
"A committee has been constituted earlier this month to hold discussions with legal experts, heads of traditional bodies and women organizations for the smooth passage of the bill," KHADC chief executive member H S Shylla told PTI.
Taking a cue from KHADC, the Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council (JHADC) and the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) are pitching for the passage of a similar bill to strip their women of ST status upon marriage with a non-tribal man.
"After last week's consultations with Shylla, the Jaintia council has also decided to pass a similar bill in areas under its jurisdiction," JHADC chief executive member Madonbai Rymbai told PTI.
D R Marak, the chief of GHADC, said a legislation proposing similar measures were passed in 2016.
"The then chief minister Mukul Sangma (present Leader of Opposition) had returned the Garo Customary Law Codification Bill passed by the council. Now we are working to pass the bill again," Marak added.
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