Shillong, August 02: The Synjuk Ki Rangbah Kur Ka Bri U Hynñiewtrep (SKRK) hosted a major assembly at the Dorbar Hall in Smit Village, marking a significant step in the regional “Tipkur Tipkha Movement.”
Organized across the Khasi and Jaintia Hills under the jurisdiction of the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) and the Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council (JHADC), the movement seeks to unite and strengthen indigenous clans by reinforcing the authority of individual Clan Organizations (Seng Kur) and Clan Councils (Dorbar Kur). The first edition of the movement was graced by Dr K M Syiemlieh, Deputy Chief of Hima Nongkhlaw, and President of the Federation of Khasi States.
Chaired by SKRK President Mr. R.L. Kharpran, the assembly brought together hundreds of clan elders, traditional heads, and scholars. Speakers highlighted the profound social shifts threatening the collective identity of the indigenous community, specifically targeting the three pillars of Khasi heritage: Land (Khyndew), Language (Ktien), and Maternal Lineage (Kur).
Addressing internal challenges, assembly leaders strongly rejected growing attempts to introduce patriarchal practices into Khasi society. Speakers reiterated that under Khasi tradition, clan identity is derived strictly through birth from the mother’s lineage—an unbreakable umbilical connection—rather than the formal assignment of a surname.
“The spirit of Mei Ramew (Mother Earth) is the source of life through whom successive generations are born from the seed of the father,” noted SKRK General Secretary Raphael Warjri, emphasizing the dual traditional roles of fathers and maternal uncles (Longkñi) as legal guardians and clan elders (Rangbah Kur).
The assembly also focused heavily on contemporary administrative and legal issues. SKRK Spokesperson R.L. Blah and Legal Adviser Robert June Kharjahrin openly criticized the current Executive Committee of the KHADC. They accused the council of violating the spirit of the Sixth Schedule to the Constitution of India by quietly tolerating patriarchal practices and undermining traditional land tenure systems.
Dr. Marco Mitri, Chairman of the Mawlai Town Dorbar, presented anthropological and scientific evidence on the Mon-Khmer origins of the Khasi people. He noted that the ancestors of the Khasi inhabited vast stretches of the Northeast long before the migration of Tibeto-Burman groups.
Additional resource persons addressing the gathering included Dr. Bakhiamon Rynjah (Core Committee Member) and Mr. Khroo L. Pariat (President, Dorbar Waheh Kur Ri Jaintia).
Organizers concluded that the Tipkur Tipkha Movement represents more than just a public campaign; it is an effort rooted in the ancestral bloodline and kinship of the Khasi-Jaintia people to safeguard their indigenous way of life.
