When paranormal protests
over gang rapes, female infanticides and honour killings threatens to overthrow
governments in India, the Himalayan land of Lahaul - Spiti in Himachal Pradesh shows
the way for women respect and prosperity.
Although women in most of
the tribes have been treated equally, the valley has obtained distinction in
the safety and status of the women and the society as in whole.
By Alexander Dhissa
The naked & rugged
snow top mountains, people wearing warm clothes, tandoor
pipes releasing thick smoke, windows and doors shut closed, vacant roads and
rivers running out of water are all about the hard life of Lahaul-Spiti
district in Himachal Pradesh during every winter. But this hardest zone of the
earth also has the softest place its women in the country.
Third
lowest populous district in India with 2 men per square kilometer Lahaul and
Spiti claims the highest sex ratio in the country with 1,017 women every thousand male according to the 2011
census. The average ratio of the country is 940 females every thousand males
which itself is far behind this district.
The
official record of the district further establishes that the female foeticide
is zero unlike any other parts of India. The immediate neighbouring states of
Haryana, Punjab and Uttarakhand have disappointing sex ratio with crimes
ranging from female infanticide, dowry killing, honour killing to sex crimes.
Not an unprecedented
result
This change is not abrupt and
must not come as a surprise to you. This land has a long history following of
treating its women no less than equal to men. “The ancient history illustrates status
of Lahauli women was better from in the society than that of the women in
general society over the centuries,” says Maheshwar Thakur, professor at
Kukumseri College, Udaipur, Lahaul.
Gathering, farming, singing,
dancing and the like has remained a part of everyday life of women. This
perhaps indicates that the women represented fertility, motherhood and were the
progenitors of the tribe.
“Although, women are treated
at par to the male members in most of the tribal societies of the Himalayas but
such fertility that Lahaul women have is not to be seen anywhere else,” says
Thakur.
Upfront on Education and Administration
Education forms the base for social developments and literacy is
on ever increase in the district. According to the Census 2011,
