Shillong:
The Executive Committee of the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) has barred persons from changing their surname/clan and to take or assume any other Khasi surname/clan without the written consent of the Registration Authority and the Executive Committee (EC).
The notification, issued on Thursday, said that the EC of the KHADC has noticed that several individuals change their surname/clan and taken or assume any other Khasi surname/clan by way of declaration/affidavit.
“The Executive Committee informs the general public that no person shall change his/her surname/clan and take or assume any other Khasi surname/clan without the written consent of the Registration Authority and the Executive Committee Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council as per the provision of the Khasi Hills Autonomous District (Khasi Social Custom of Lineage) Act 1997,” the notification stated.
Further, the EC instructed all competent authorities within the jurisdiction of the KHADC not to accept the changing of surname/clan to any other Khasi surname/clan by any individual without the written consent of the Registration Authority and the EC.
It stated that Section 12 of the Khasi Hills Autonomous District (Khasi Social Custom of Lineage) Act 1997 has prohibited the change of the surname or clan and to take or assuming any other Khasi surname/clan without the written consent of the Registration Authority and the Executive Committee, Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council.