Tripura's Jamatia community to get codified laws

From a CORRESPONDENT

Agartala, Sept 14:   The chief executive member of the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC), Radha Charan Debbarma will formally hand over the codified customary laws of the Jamatia community to the Akaras, the heads of the community’s highest body known as the Jamatia Hoda, on September 16 in a mass gathering at Khumulung.

The two Akras Pulindra Kumar Jamatia and Padma Lila Jamatia in a press conference said that they are expecting a large gathering in the TTAADC head quarter on the day, where they will receive the codified customary laws of the community. The Akras said that the Jamatias from across the State would attend the gathering and urged all other tribal communities to participate on the occasion.

The TTAADC passed the Jamatia Customary Law Bill 2017 on September 1, which will become a law after some legal procedures are completed. Jamatias are the first, among 19 tribal communities of the State, whose customary laws have been codified. Customary laws of some other communities like Tripuri, Chakma, Koloi, Murasingh are also under consideration of the TTAADC for codification.

Jamatia Hoda, the highest body of the community has a tradition of 427 years of uninterrupted functioning, has been using these laws to maintain discipline in the society. But its legality came under question after the Constitution came into force as it was not codified.

The Akras said codification of the Jamatia customary laws became easy as it had undergone amendments through its long existence and there is very less contradiction with the Indian Civil Code and the Constitution of India.

Citing instances they said that equal right of women to inherit paterl property is in existence in the Jamatia Customary Law since long, and 30 per cent of seats are also reserved for women in all Jamatia bodies.

Jamatia Hoda played a vital role in preventing insurgency in the State in 1980’s and 1990’s, as the body firmly stood against the insurgents and also against forcible conversions despite serious threat from the ultras.

Suchitra Jamatia, advisor to the Hoda said the organization is always in favor of maintaining peace in the State and they will go on working to ensure that their tradition is maintained.