“I have not lost the battle. I will keep fighting. They will have to give tribal women the right to inherit property sooner or later.”
These are the words of 76-year-old Rattan Manjari, a tribal activist from Kinnaur, who continues her decades-long fight for women's property rights as another International Women’s Day calls for gender equality.
For nearly 40 years, Manjari has been leading the struggle against an old customary law that denies tribal women the right to inherit property.
This law, recorded in the Wazib ul arz, a revenue document from the early 20th century, states that daughters can only use their parents' property until they marry but cannot sell or will it. If a married woman’s husband dies, the property goes to her son, even if he is a minor. Tribal women argue that this law is unfair and contradicts the Indian Constitution.
Unlike many other tribal women, Manjari was fortunate to receive legal property rights from her parents.
She first raised this issue with then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in the 1970s, demanding equal property rights for tribal women. Yet, decades later, she is still fighting for the same cause.
Over the years, many tribal women, especially those with little education, have been abandoned or widowed with no property or financial security. With no legal rights over land or homes, they are left dependent on others or forced to beg for survival. Kinnaur still has lower female literacy compared to men, making the situation even worse.
“The people of Kinnaur have given up customs like polyandry as times changed, so why not this? I have been trying for years to change the mindset of our society, but success has been slow,” Manjari said.
Around 15 years ago, Manjari and other women activists from the Mahila Kalyan Parishad went from village to village, gathering signatures to demand a change in the law. However, the movement faced resistance, especially from tribal men. Many fear that granting women property rights could lead to tribal land being sold to outsiders, as more tribal women are now marrying outside the community.
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“I understand that some tribal women are marrying outside, but that doesn’t mean we should hold on to an unfair law. If they want to protect tribal land, they can add conditions, but women must get their rightful share like other women in India,” she said.
Dhanpati, a 48-year-old woman from Khawangi, shared her experience.
“We are two sisters and have no brother. After we got married, our father’s property went to the biradari (his brothers) as per customary law. Now, if I need to send my children to school in Reckong Peo or want to stay in my native village, I have to rent a room. I have nothing in my name.” She plans to raise this issue with the Tribal Development Minister.
Dhanpati supports Manjari’s fight and believes the law should be amended. “I am not asking for property for material gain. I need it. Women should at least have the right to property in case of necessity,” she said.
The Mahila Kalyan Parishad is continuing the legal battle for tribal women’s property rights. They recently met the President of India in Shimla and now plan to seek the Prime Minister’s intervention to amend the law through Parliament.
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