Meghalaya Governor C.H. Vijayashankar on Monday called on the state's political leadership to mentally prepare for a significant transformation in legislative representation, pointing to the possible implementation of the proposed 33 per cent reservation for women in legislatures.
Speaking at an International Women's Day programme organised by the Directorate of Social Welfare Meghalaya at Lok Bhavan in Shillong, the Governor said the reform could result in no fewer than 20 women legislators entering the 60-member Meghalaya Legislative Assembly, while at least one of the state's two parliamentary seats may be reserved for women from the next election cycle.
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Vijayashankar was direct in his message to the political class.
"I think probably from the next election this is going to come. Then 33 per cent, in the sense, not less than 20 female legislators will be able to sit in the Assembly in the State of Meghalaya. No clash. And a minimum of one MP is going to be reserved for the female community out of two MPs in Meghalaya. This is going to happen and mentally we have to be prepared for that," he said.
The Governor highlighted Meghalaya's distinct social fabric, noting that the state's matrilineal traditions already place it in a different category from most of the country.
"This particularly Meghalaya — it is a female-dominated society. In the rest of India, including my state Karnataka, ancestral property comes to the eldest son. But in Meghalaya, ancestral property goes to the youngest daughter of the family. They mention the mother's name and not the father's name," he said.
Vijayashankar used the occasion to reinforce the core message of International Women's Day, arguing that the celebration should serve as a reminder to society that discrimination between men and women has no natural or divine basis.
"When females can achieve anything, they can become anything. God never makes discrimination; it is done by us," he said.
He also drew attention to the persistent problem of teenage pregnancy among young women in the state, stressing the need for greater awareness, better access to education, and stronger community support to address the issue.
West Shillong legislator and Social Welfare Adviser Paul Lyngdoh offered a striking contrast between the roles of women and men in the world today, referencing the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
"While women are quietly lighting up lamps ensuring the flame remains alight as I speak, on the contrary, the men are lighting up skies in the Middle East with a lot of noise, a lot of violence and a lot of damage," Lyngdoh said.
The event also marked eleven years of the Union government's flagship Beti Bachao Beti Padhao scheme, organised under the State Hub for Empowerment of Women.