Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma defended amendments to the Mizo Marriage and Inheritance of Property Act on Thursday, saying the changes — passed by the Mizoram Assembly earlier this month — were the outcome of wide consultations rather than a unilateral government move. Introduced by Lalduhoma in his role as law minister, the Mizo Marriage and Inheritance of Property (Amendment) Bill codifies aspects of Mizo customary law and adds provisions on polygamy, inter‑community marriage and women’s property rights.
The amendment formally bans polygamy and allows women to claim up to 50 percent of matrimonial property, but it has sparked controversy after some readings suggested the law could cause Mizo women who marry non‑Mizo men to lose their Mizo identity and Scheduled Tribe status. Civil society groups, led by the Mizo Hmeichhe Insuihkhawm Pawl (MHIP), on Friday urged the state government to withdraw the Bill, calling it potentially unsafe for Mizo women.
Responding to critics during an Assembly discussion on a private member’s resolution, Lalduhoma said the Bill follows recommendations from the Mizo Customary Law Review Committee, which includes representatives from ten organisations — among them MHIP and the Central Young Mizo Association (CYMA) — as well as experts from Mizoram University and the state law college.
Lalduhoma noted that the earlier 2014 Act treated a Mizo woman who married outside the community as having entered her husband’s family, effectively separating her from customary rights. “Our customary law does not clearly explain the status of Mizo women who marry outside the community; instead, it simply rejects them,” he said, adding that the law is also silent on children raised strictly in Mizo culture and traditions.
He cited a May 1977 Ministry of Home Affairs circular that allows issuance of a tribal certificate to children of inter‑caste or inter‑tribe marriages if they are brought up as tribals, suffer similar social deprivations, and are accepted by the community — decisions that must be taken on merit rather than as a general rule. He also referenced an October 2019 circular from the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment regarding children of divorced women.
Clarifying recent legal developments, Lalduhoma said a Supreme Court ruling delivered in November last year applied to the individual petitioner and should not be read as a blanket judgment for all Scheduled Castes or Scheduled Tribes. He urged the public to abandon an “insular mentality,” saying inter‑community marriages are inevitable in a globalised world and noting that many Mizo women married to non‑Mizos remain respected contributors to Mizo society.
Acknowledging the sensitivity of the issue, Lalduhoma suggested forming a separate committee to study more deeply the legal and social status of Mizo women who marry outside the community and that of their children, and said the government is open to further review and dialogue.
Original Source: https://www.indiatodayne.in/mizoram/story/mizoram-cm-lalduhoma-defends-amended-customary-laws-amid-growing-debate-1352880-2026-02-28?utm_source=rssfeed
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Publish Date: 2026-02-28 14:26:00
