Common marriage? Quite uncommon
Wife-sharing used to be a common practice in the hill districts of Lahaul-Spiti and Kinnaur. But with the youth increasingly exposed to the world outside, polyandry is on the verge of extinction.
Kunga Bodh Anuji is among the many young faces you see around Panjab University. He comes from Lahaul but has abandoned his community's elaborate long frock coat for an easy pair of jeans and T-shirt. But Anuji and other youngsters from Lahaul have changed more than just their clothes. They have also left behind a lot of outdated social customs, particularly polyandry.
Kunga Bodh Anuji is among the many young faces you see around Panjab University. He comes from Lahaul but has abandoned his community's elaborate long frock coat for an easy pair of jeans and T-shirt. But Anuji and other youngsters from Lahaul have changed more than just their clothes. They have also left behind a lot of outdated social customs, particularly polyandry.
"When people are no longer willing to continue with their traditional dresses then how can we expect them to continue with polyandry which is embarrassing in the modern era, " he asks.
Winds of change are blowing across the cold and isolated districts of Lahaul-Spiti and Kinnaur. Education and greater exposure to the outside world are making a lot of difference to how the hill tribals, who were isolated from the world outside for centuries, now live.
Traditionally, sharing a wife meant protection of family assets because it prevented division of land. Agriculture was the main source of income for these districts and since land holdings were small anyway, polyandry prevented further reduction of land holdings.
Till even a couple of decades ago polyandry was commonly practised in these snowbound valleys, but once the children started moving out to cities like Shimla, Chandigarh and Delhi, it was only a matter of time before the tradition was questioned or defied. The youth here now find the practice not just impractical but also embarrassing.
"In modern times getting into a common marriage is unthinkable. How can a woman be shared among brothers? Girls have their own views and aspirations. Time has changed so traditions need to change too, " says Sunita, a resident of Udaipur town in Lahaul-Spiti.
Besides, people of these cold districts are slowly switching from farming to professional employment. Government jobs are highly sought after among the youth here.
"Modernisation and economic growth have changed the tribal mindset. People are no more dependent on agriculture as they have other sources of income too. Women too are beginning to protest against polyandry, " said Ratan Manjri, a noted women's rights activist from Kinnaur.
Many young girls from Kinnaur and Lahaul-Spiti preparing for competitive examinations describe polyandry as uncomfortable and embarrassing. Jai Ram Thakur, a resident of Hinsa village in Lahaul-Spiti, says there are hardly any families practising polyandry today. Youngsters, he says, prefer to exercise individual choice in the selection of a spouse. And the older generation is not insisting they stick to outdated practices.
Baldev Singh, a resident of Pattan valley, says that the roots of polyandry sink deep into the ancient Buddhist and Hindu culture of the region. "In old times everyone was pleased with their shared-spouse arrangement, " he says.
Shimla-based sociologist Prof S K Sharma says that the modern aspirations of hill tribals will ensure that polyandry is totally rooted out. "The youth have realised that the system has internal contradictions and also leads to the exploitation of women, " he says.
Many young girls from Kinnaur and Lahaul-Spiti preparing for competitive examinations describe polyandry as uncomfortable and embarrassing. Jai Ram Thakur, a resident of Hinsa village in Lahaul-Spiti, says there are hardly any families practising polyandry today. Youngsters, he says, prefer to exercise individual choice in the selection of a spouse. And the older generation is not insisting they stick to outdated practices.
Baldev Singh, a resident of Pattan valley, says that the roots of polyandry sink deep into the ancient Buddhist and Hindu culture of the region. "In old times everyone was pleased with their shared-spouse arrangement, " he says.
Shimla-based sociologist Prof S K Sharma says that the modern aspirations of hill tribals will ensure that polyandry is totally rooted out. "The youth have realised that the system has internal contradictions and also leads to the exploitation of women, " he says.
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