Reflections on Hmar Women Social Deprivation
- with special reference to Inheritance -
- Part 2 -

Dr. Priyadarshni M Gangte *

Sikpuiruoi , Hmar community's biggest post harvest winter festival was celebrated at Delhi on Dec 8 2012
Pix by Lalremlien Neitham

However, Bonita (i), (ii) in her research on the issue has emphatically said:

"The male dominated Hmar society was not the root cause for oppression of women, an educational institution is teacher dominated, does this mean that the teacher oppress the students?" Rather it was the continuity of tradition that hindered women's(...) had to be abandoned. She felt that "The male dominated, culture and society could be continuously maintained for the means of living in harmony between the male and the female."

It is more interesting that women themselves had rejected an idea of being independent and having a separate identity. In other words, women themselves advocated male superiority in the society accepting their own subordinative position. Among the Hmars it was a selective – compromise enunciated and practised by Hmar women. Perhaps it was their wisdom.

This state of affairs remains unchanged even after the reorganization of village administration under Manipur Hill Village Authority Act, 1956. That is, to say women political empowerment is yet to be initiated in Hmar society also. The change that one can observe is like the decline of the role of the Lal (chief) and his council. His rights and privileges he indisputably enjoyed before the introduction of Act have not been fully put into practice today. Perhaps, sexually discriminative state of affairs may have prompted Hmar women, at the fag end of 20th century, to institute a women forum called Hmar Women's Association in 1986.

It may also be mentioned that Hmar Society is far more literate one among the Chin-Kuki-Mizo of Manipur. Hmar women literacy rate is 75.2% (approximately) which is ranked highest of all women literacy rates of major tribal groups of Manipur, however, they are still hesitant and cannot come forward to have a say for themselves. It appears that since they had been suppressed for long they compromised to stay as such and contribute passively rather then more actively. The most important and relevant objects inter-alia of the Hmar Women's Association are reproduced here is that at upholding "women's value and rights". Under this object sex-biased culture of Hmar which determines the value of women is targeted for change.

Determination of women's value by culture is resulted into low status of women, it is further resulted into low or limited role of women. In this way women's rights are undermined in society forcing them to play limited role. The Association also aims at promoting "active participation in the total socio-political life of the Hmar weaker sexes and work for modernization of life".

On the other hand, the forces of modernization at work in tribal societies have produced a two-fold trend. They have created conditions for proliferations of occupations for tribal women. Moreover, the system is in flux and opportunities for mobility, vertical, horizontal and psyche are numerous. Consciously or unconsciously she is buffeted by social and economic forces to realities or wider horizons. Thus tribals are heading to an aim hurting woman's better status. They were already denied a reasonable place in the arena of social control as a result a great deal of social security has already being eroded.

It will be pertinent to look into what Bonita's comments in her discourse on tribal women of different areas of inhabitance. The report on Tribal Women and Employment published by the National Commission for Women (1998), shows to a certain extent why the situation of the tribal women of the plains differs so radically from that of northeastern tribal women including that of Hmars. The development policies followed in the two areas account for difference.

In the former areas the idea was creation of employment opportunities which should have priority as this would lead to the empowerment of women. In the Northeast, particularly in Mizoram, the missionaries created the necessary infrastructures for education as it could lead to the desired change in society. The heterogeneous conditions to which the tribals of the plains are exposed to further heightens their vulnerability. It is also slightly traceable in the Chin-Kuki-Mizo society, class and clan distinctions, and the superior-subordinate relations resulting from the same accentuate deprivation and dis-empowerment which is not so high among these societies.

Of course, societal reflections until very recently is that the Hmar tribal community has three classes:
(i) warriors;
(ii) farmers and
(iii) hunters,
wherein women belong to the second category in an environment where nomenclature contestation along with clan and sub-clan politics is extremely high especially, among the CHIKIMS in Manipur. Moreover, security in wealth or economy as already a universal phenomenon is also reflective of the situation, its relevance is on the rise and will have to go a long way.

The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights of United Nation, in consideration of Reports submitted states parties under Article 40 of the Covenant the committee in its recommendation No. 17 says that the Committee is concerned that women in India have not been accorded equality in the enjoyment of their rights and freedoms in accordance with articles 2, paragraph 1, 3 and 26 of the Covenant. Nor have they been freed from discrimination.

Women remain unrepresented in public life and the higher levels of the public service, and are subjected to personal laws which are based on religious norms which do not accord equality in respect of marriage, divorce and inheritance rights. The Committee points out that the enforcement of personal laws based on religion violates the right of women to equality before the law and non-discrimination. Therefore, it recommend be strengthened towards the enjoyment of their rights by women without discrimination and that personal laws be enacted which are fully compatible with the Covenant.

Now, the aforesaid economic issue, it is needless to say that, since the Chikim society is very much patriarchal, men control the economic institutions, own most property, direct economic activity and determine the value of different productive activities. Most productive work done by women contrary to that of wives of some tribes in Arunachal Pradesh is neither recognised nor paid for; for their contribution to the creation of surplus through what Maria Mies has called "shadow work" is completely discounted at all. Moreover, women's role as producers and rearer of children and of labour power is not considered an economic contribution at all. So the society is biased towards women who suffer at many levels of economic exploitation.

Whatever said and done, even not leaving aside the other productive resources are, also controlled by men and they pass from one man to another, usually from father to son. Even where women have the legal right to inherit such asset, a whole array of customary practices emotional pressure, social sanctions, and sometimes plain violence, prevent them from acquiring actual control over them. In other cases, personal laws curtail their rights rather than enhance them. In all cases, they are disadvantaged. This amply illustrated by UN Statistics: "Women do more than 60 percent of the hours of work done in the World, but they get 10 percent of the world's income and own one percent of the world's property".

Besides women's role in reproduction and production is qualitatively different from men because women's production of new life is linked inseparably to the production of the means of subsistence for it, the appropriation of their bodily nature, they produce children and milk, makes them the first providers of daily food, either as gatherers or as agriculturists.

Now, we have come to know the fact that is scientifically proved that women are biologically stronger than the men, besides males are the by-products of women. The Hmar women (some) despite their manifold access to education remain still member of the closely bound patriarchal society, confined by rules and tested, which gain greater significance in the passage of time rather than which is possible through education. It is time now to think and do something positively for the future generation.

Concluded ...