Aizawl, Feb 28: Mizoram’s leading women’s organization has demanded that the state government scrap the recently passed Mizo Marriage and Inheritance of Property (Amendment) Bill, calling it “inadequate” and “potentially unsafe” for Mizo women.

The Bill, cleared by the assembly on February 24 and tabled by Chief Minister Lalduhoma as Law Minister, codifies Mizo customary laws. It bans polygamy and bigamy, requires divorce certificates for remarriage, and lets women claim up to 50% of jointly acquired marital property upon divorce. However, it strips Mizo women who marry non-tribal men of their Mizo identity, barring their children from Scheduled Tribe (ST) benefits a clause absent in the prior law that covered all Mizo citizens, including those marrying outsiders.

In a strongly worded statement, the Mizo Hmeichhe Insuihkhawm Pawl (MHIP) despite having representatives on the Mizo Customary Law Committee said it was neither consulted nor informed on the Bill’s provisions. The group rejected the legislation outright and vowed to pursue alternative reforms for stronger women’s rights protections.

The amendment has ignited fierce debate on social media. Supporters see it as essential to curb inter-tribal marriages and preserve community identity. Critics decry it as gender discrimination, arguing a woman’s ethnic identity is a birthright tied to her parents’ lineage, not revocable by marriage. They also cite Supreme Court precedents affirming that a woman’s caste remains unchanged post-marriage, preserving ST eligibility for her children.