|
Rekong Peo (Himachal Pradesh): It's 8 in the morning and a group of women is ready to
trudge miles of rugged, cold and inhospitable Himalayan terrain to
spearhead a campaign -- educating tribal women of Kinnaur about
their rights to inherit ancestral property.
With traditional folk songs on their lips, the members of the
Mahila Kalyan Parishad, a women's rights group based in the
district, go from village to village to create a mass movement
against the patriarchal laws that bar them from inheriting
property.
"We are daily visiting one village where the women - old and young
- have been motivated to stand up and raise their voice against
the laws that deprive them from inheriting property," 59-year-old
social activist Rattan Manjari, chairperson of the Mahila Kalyan
Parishad, told IANS.
She said a signature campaign has been launched in the district,
demanding amendment to the customary laws.
The tribal laws, prevalent only in Kinnaur, do not give women the
right to inherit the property of their parents or husband. Only
men have the right to inherit ancestral property. Even the wife
has no right on her husband's assets, which are directly
transferred to the sons.
"If parents will ancestral property to their girl child, then she
would be entitled for its claim. But if the parents don't do it,
then she can't claim the property even legally," Manjari said.
She said sensitisation drives have been held in the Pooh and
Nichar blocks and now it's on in Kalpa block.
Another social activist, Reeta Bhaguna, said the women groups and
members of the panchayats based in the Pooh and Nichar blocks are
busy in the signature campaign.
The Mahila Kalyan Parishad aims to cover all the 77 revenue
villages and tiny helmets.
Bhaguna said sometimes they have to trudge 10 to 20 km to reach a
village. There are 15 to 20 isolated hamlets in the district with
approximately 1,000 residents where it takes a full day to reach
on foot.
"Sometimes we spend a chilly night at the village," she added.
Manjari, who launched a campaign with a handful of dedicated peers
more than a decade ago, said lack of literacy in the district
interiors is hampering empowering of women.
Now, her Mahila Kalyan Parishad has the support of 130 Mahila
Mandals.
"Before forcing the government to change or amend the laws, we
have to change the mindset of women. The condition of widows
deserted and spinsters is very deplorable. They are simply at the
mercy of their families. Most of them have been abandoned," she
said.
"Of course, opposition from men is obvious. But some of them are
supporting the cause also," she adds.
However, Manjari, a prominent apple grower from the picturesque
Ribba village, some 250 km from state capital Shimla, is an
exceptional case. Her mother bequeathed to her the entire
agricultural land despite Manjari having a brother.
"If this is possible in my case, why is it not possible in the
case of other women?" she asked.
She said a draft demanding amendments to prevailing laws would be
prepared once the sensitisation and signature drives are over.
"The draft after getting nod from all the 65 panchayats would be
sent to Governor Urmila Singh and President Pratibha Patil for
necessary amendments," Manjari said.
Urmila Singh, who was apprised about the laws by the Mahila Kalyan
Parishad members, lent support to their cause.
A provisional Census for 2011 shows the sex ratio in Kinnaur has
gone down to 818 per thousand males from 857 in 2001 -- the lowest
in the state.
However, the literacy rate in the district is 80.77 percent --
88.37 for males and 71.34 for females - for a population of
84,298.
(Vishal Gulati can be contacted at vishal.g@ians.in)
|
Comments
|
Quick links