Ranchi: Giving vent to their grievances against polygamy among the Santhals, around 800 tribal women from several states demanded abolition of the age-old practice.
At a two-day workshop here, speakers said tribal women as a rule have no right over any land owned by the family. A polygamous male could very well divorce his wife at his will, they alleged.
"Since the women have no rights over land, her situation is extremely insecure because she is at the mercy of her husband's wishes and whims," said a participant at the workshop that concluded Friday.
Chandmuni Hansda said the Santhal society allowrd a man to keep five wives simultaneously, making womenfolk extremely vulnerable.
"The tradition is so unjust that a Santhal woman can be disowned by her husband at any point without a tangible or valid reason and also without any compensation," said Chandmuni.
The participants at the workshop came from Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Orissa, West Bengal, Assam, Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. The Sangharshrath Adivasi Mahila Manch organised it.
Speakers said widows and barren women were often branded witches and tortured by close relatives in an attempt to grab their land.
The women arrived at a consensus decision at the workshop to unite and start a movement against social injustices and denial of their rights.
The women activists also came down heavily on the Jharkhand government for its "failure" to check exploitation of tribal women in the state.
Addressing the gathering, noted Bengali writer Joya Mitra said the tribal women have always remained associated with the land and nature.
"They love working amid nature. Alien culture penetrating into the state is hampering their development," Mitra said.
"They also fall prey to the sexual exploitation of contractors who employ many of them in construction sites," she said.
Source: http://www.newkerala.com/news2.php?action=fullnews&id=27653
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