Tribal expelled for father's name

By Subir Bhaumik
BBC News, Calcutta

Mr Kyndiah is the son of a top politician (pic: Rituraj Borthakur)

An Indian politician has been stripped of his status as a tribesman and may be barred from contesting elections because he took his father's surname.

Leaders of the Khasi tribe in the north-east Indian state of Meghalaya have told Waibha Kyndiah that he has "ceased" to be a Khasi.

The Khasis are a matrilineal society and their legal code does not recognise anyone who uses a paternal surname.

Mr Kyndiah was planning to contest an assembly seat reserved for tribes.

The Khasis are one of the three leading tribes in Meghalaya.

Mr Kyndiah was going to contest state assembly elections on 3 March from Nongkrem constituency, which is reserved for tribal representatives.

Mr Kyndiah's father, PR Kyndiah, is India's federal minister for tribal affairs.

Women as inheritors

A Khasi administrative body, The Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council, told Mr Kyndiah he was no longer a member of the tribe.

"The junior Kyndiah shall cease to be a Khasi as he has adopted the title of his father and not his mother as mandatory," a council leader, HS Shylla said.

Mr Shylla and Mr Kyndiah had both planned to stand for election in the Nongkrem constituency but the national Congress party preferred Mr Kyndiah over Mr Shylla.

A local legal code says anyone who uses the surname of the father instead of the mother ceases to be a Khasi.

The code is designed to enshrine the tradition of matrilineal lineage among the Khasis.

Women inherit family property in Meghalaya, with the largest share going to the youngest daughter.

A men's organisation was formed in the last decade to push for a change in the laws that would also give sons a share of family property but it did not have much success.

The Khasi tradition is in stark contrast to social practices in other parts of India, where female children often suffer neglect.

The Meghalayan government said on Tuesday that it would not make a decision on whether Mr Kyndiah could still be classed as a tribesman and whether he could therefore contest the election.

The decision now rests with a court.