August 30, 2007...6:26 pm
The Other Extreme……….
Everyday I hear stories about female foeticide and gender discrimination. In the north eastern state of Meghalaya, the situation is very different. Here in the Khasi and Jaintia tribes daughters inherit all the ancestral property. Much of the property goes to the Ka Khadduh - the youngest daughter. There is no scope for a dowry because women inherit all property here. Women run family businesses and take all key family decisions.
The sons get nothing. Meghalaya’s angry men formed a Male Liberation Group - called Symbai Rimbai Tongbai (SRT). They demand equal property rights for the male child and a greater role for men in the family.
But nobody is taking them seriously and it is not working, although the patriarchal values are gaining ground gradually.
9 Comments
August 31, 2007 at 12:56 am
Very interesting, Prerna!
August 31, 2007 at 1:15 am
its the same in kerela also
August 31, 2007 at 1:31 am
Thanks a lot Pr3rna, If I marry a Megh girl, I ll make sure she is the youngest daughter in the family
August 31, 2007 at 6:27 am
Very very interesting!!
August 31, 2007 at 10:14 am
Thanks @rambodoc, Ankur, Oemar and Lubz. Don’t have high hopes Oemar. The residents of Meghalaya are against girls marrying outside the state.
August 31, 2007 at 12:07 pm
Interesting!!! @Ankur: Kerala also same!!! Never knew about it.
August 31, 2007 at 12:28 pm
Guess if the daughters are inheriting everything, men will have a grudge. Wonder why I am not feeling too bad about that!
August 31, 2007 at 4:01 pm
This is an excellent footnote to the 50+ comments-based doctoral thesis on my blog on this topic! What a refreshing news…goes to show that the phenomenon is not comprehensively widespread (now is that a redundancy or what?) in our country!
Thanks for highlighting it, Prerna and Ankur.
August 31, 2007 at 4:11 pm
Thanks Bharat,Nita and Mahendrap for your comments.
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