04 November,2010 09:35 AM IST | | Akhilesh Jha
In Minicoy Islands, women are the boss
Around the world, changing of a woman's surname post marriage is a common practice. The same custom prevails in Minicoy Island, but here, for a change, it is husbands who have to adopt the wife's surname after the wedding. Before marriage, men live in their 'Mother's House' and after marriage, in the 'Wife's House'. No wonder Marco Polo referred to this island as 'female' island.
Women of Falessry village
The tradition of matriarchy in this island has a historical background. As legend goes, two princesses -- Kamborani and Kohoratukamana -- built this island. Some trace the origin of these princesses to Malabar coasts and some to Maldives.
Leading from the front
Just as our speedboat was about to reach Minicoy after a seven hour journey from Kavaratti, I saw hundreds of women assembled at jetty, in colourful gowns and white scarves shouting slogans in joy. Before I could ask, Haneefbhai informed me that they were there to welcome the cultural troop of Minicoy that had won the award of best troop at Republic Day functions of Lakshadweep. Women of this island lead from the front on all
occasions, including in political rallies and protests.
Thereafter, wherever I went, I always found women of the island in colourful gowns and white scarves with brocades. Their love for jewellery is also quite evident. Though they follow Islam, women here do not wear veils. It is said that even Ibn Batuta, who had got the status of a Qadi and who had come from Arab, unsuccessfully tried to get them to observe purdah in the 14th century.
But he was so fascinated with the charms of the Maliku (the original name of Minicoy) women that he married two of them during his short stay.
Tale of a legend
Except for fishing and working as seamen, women of Minicoy dominate in all walks of life. But that is not because of a fear of the sea. There is a legendary woman on this island named Aamina Alimange. She is perhaps the oldest surviving lady in India. People say she is about 120 years of age.
She lost her husband in World War II in a shipwreck. She came to know about his death after three years, when a fellow islander informed her about his death. When she was a young girl, a ship met with an accident near the reef of Minicoy. Boxes of goods were floating in the high sea. She collected the maximum number of boxes. People say she became rich by collecting boxes from that shipwreck. Even at this age, when I went to see her, I found her cleaning rice in a plate. She offers prayers all five times and her daily
routine is very regular.
Women here bear more responsibility because of the fact that majority of young population of this island works on ships. Men working on ships make the most sought after bridegroom in this island. The reason is very simple; apart from a good salary, they bring in goods and gifts from all parts of the world.
So women have full command over the household. Men cannot invite their friends to their homes without the consent of their wives. Here one cannot take his homemaker for granted, as others do in other societies. I was lucky to be welcomed to my friend Hassan Valubi's house for all my meals during the entire period of my stay in Minicoy.
This island has been in close contact with all the changes the world is going through. Islanders love their language Dhivehi, popularly known as Mahl, and also their traditional script. But after becoming a part of India they have picked up Hindi so well that no one can make out that they are from a remote island in the Arabian Sea. They have picked up English also well and all credit goes to young girls. In the oldest madrasa of this island, which was established in February 1947, all modern subjects are taught along with regular lessons on religion. Girls mostly take these classes.
While in the mainland parents do not send their daughters to other villages for high school or higher education, here parents do send their daughters to the mainland to pursue higher studies.
Menace from around the globe
Globe trotters of this island, apart from carrying goods and gifts, have started carrying deadly diseases like AIDS also to the island. Initially, as in other societies, they too didn't know how to tackle the menace, but now the solution that they have come up with is remarkable.
They have made it mandatory for the bride and bridegroom to get HIV tests done before marriage. Unless both test negative, the Qadi will not perform the rituals of marriage. This process has been accepted by the society without any fatwa or legislation, which is a big lesson for other societies also.
Although Islam allows polygamy, monogamy is the call of society in this island. Women can also seek divorce and remarriages are not difficult and do not carry any stigma here. You never hear of any child marriage, nor do you hear about sex discrimination. Here you do not have to paint walls to teach the society about sex discrimination, foeticide, girl's education etc. Everything is in perfect harmony here in the queendom...from nature to mankind.
