UNDISCOVERED CULTURE

“We want equal rights

We want to be the decision makers

We do not want to be looked down

We want equal opportunities, dignity and respect”

Sounds like the voice of women fighting for her rights?   

You got that wrong, at least if you are in the “Abode of clouds”–Meghalaya. The place which is well known for its natural wonders, the Cherrapunji, the abundant rain and the stretching valleys and lot more, also offers another reason for its fame. It follows a unique culture- a culture that is known to some but spoken by none, a culture that still prevails within the boundaries of the region and a culture that makes the place sound like an alien planet.

In the hilly regions of the North eastern India, a girl child brings cheers to the family and if it is a boy, the family is saddened. Women are decision makers. Husband hands over his salary to the wife. Daughters inherit the ancestral property and not the sons. Men take care of the household work. Children get the mother’s surname. In case of conflicts, the husband is threatened to be thrown out of the house and not the wife. The age old traditions we have be aware of seem to take a diversion in this region.

This culture is called the Matrilineal culture where women are treated well ahead of men. The ancestry is traced through the mother and maternal relations. This culture is prevalent not only in India but in many other regions like Cherokee, Haida, Hopi, Navoji, eastern Sri Lanka, Mosuo of China, Basques of Spain and France.

Though the male member is considered the head of the house, the sole responsibility of managing it lies in the hands of the woman. Some men are accustomed to this culture while a few have adopted it. However, there is certainly a sector of men who crave for a freedom from this tradition. Be it men or women, when treated as the weaker gender, the society is sure to witness a wave of agitation. People of Meghalaya are no exceptions to this. A group of men from this region have formed an organization, Syngkhong Rympei Thymai (SRT). This organization fights for equal rights and opportunities for men. More than twenty five years since inception, the organization is striving to break this social system by which men are forced into a sub ordinate position when compared to women. The battle is still not won.

A few kilometers away from the place, there is a different story. Rather the reality we know. Every day hundreds of women live in a world where their faint voice is lost in the buzz of men sovereignty.    Perhaps, the matrilineal system is not what women wish for. But for sure, every woman wants a society where there is no female infanticide, no dowry, no limitations on the dreams and aspirations of a teenage girl, no restrictions on her attire. When a woman in Meghalaya has the right to be treated with respect, so does every other woman in the other regions of the county. If you think a lot has been done for women; then you got to think again.