If we were to list the ills of the Indian society, treatment towards women would surely rank among the top. Seven decades into our independence and numerous efforts by government, self-help groups, and other organizations, we can’t yet claim to have become an egalitarian society where women enjoy equal standing. It is estimated that close to one-third women in India

It is estimated that close to one-third women in India is the victim of domestic violence, a big blot on the society. Stories of dowry, female foeticide, a disparity in wages and ill-treatment even in the corporate world still tend to dominate our daily discourse. We are an out-and-out patriarchal society, a common strain we share with even the most egalitarian societies in the world.

Amusing that it may sound but in one of the remotest corners of the country in the state of Meghalaya, the story is quite different. The Khasi tribe, the largest ethnic group in the state practice matrilineal form of society. While few other communities in India were known to practice this system their numbers have dwindled as they have given into the pressures of the prevalent social order. Khasis by far remain the biggest community in India and one of the biggest even in the rest of the world to follow this system where women enjoy more than an equal standing at home.  

So what is a matrilineal society and how is it different from others that we see in the rest of the world? Strictly speaking, women have an ascendant role in the society and considered custodians of the lineage. Among the Khasis, the relations on the maternal side (Cognates) are known as Ki Kur while that on the paternal side (Agnates) are known as Ki Kha. Unlike other societies in India and rest of the world, it is the cognates who trace their origin from a common ancestor. It isn’t the females who leave her parents after getting married it is just the other way round and the husband comes to the wife’s house. The offspring born out of this relationship takes his/her mother’s surname instead of father’s which is prevalent elsewhere in the world. 

In terms of property ownership, it is the youngest daughter (Khadduh) who inherits the property and also has the responsibility to take care of her parents. As a norm, the youngest daughter’s husband would have to stay with the in-laws and help his wife take care of them. So who amongst the men do the Khadduh consult when it comes to important decisions? In the traditional system, her father and husband have little role to play and it is the maternal uncle (Kii) who wields immense influence over his niece. In the past it was the maternal uncle would often be the one responsible for his nephews during their growing years and pass on the tradition but this has diminished given the present pressure from the modern society where parents are responsible for their children.

There is a lot of debate surrounding the origins of this system as some scholars even claim that the Khasi ancestors adopted this system to escape unexpected vicissitudes in the past that posed serious threats to their survival and existence. However, it is commonly believed that the reason women were given prominent position in their homes was due to the fact that menfolk were away most of the times fighting wars and it naturally fell upon the women to look after the family and care for the children.  

While the society is at crossroads as there is external pressure to transform from its menfolk who often feel unwanted in their families. But what needs to be appreciated about the Khasi community is the statue of a woman who is in no way inferior to man.