HUMAN RIGHTS AND WOMEN IN BARAK VALLEY OF ASSAM


 


      Barak Valley also known as the island of peace state of Assam Southern India where almost 50 percent of people are Hindu and 46 percent Muslim religious people while only 4 percent shares different beliefs. Majority of people including women and children are Bengali speaking community. Relieving the long history of Islam and Muslim culture up to the present times, their long history of women’s challenges and struggle have been manifested and women are just a mere reflection of innocence and powerlessness that surrounds and dominated the world of men as eccentric and almost non functional only to follow the ground rules sets by men.


      Even if in this three districts of Barak Valley, majority of the population are women but their characters and culture led them to follow the men as established in their Maru culture. Even in their childhood that a girl must follow their father when married they must obey their husband which is definitely degrading that their human being is suffocated by the command and request of men and this has been the cultural behavior in Barak Valley where women and  children cannot be independent to think for themselves.


      At the very young age girls are encourage to perform domestic odd jobs rather than study in school due to lack of necessary trust that women can help the community in Barak Valley. Their schools do not acquire such facilities for girls and women but only most of the time their resources are reserved for men. This has been the reason why the literacy for women is very low whether in rural or urban area. In rural Barak Valley of Assam the high percentage rate of early marriage or teen pregnancy is often neglected that there are series of reports about abortion or death before giving birth due to external bleeding and lack of nutrition because of signs of hormonal dysfunction because of body temperature that is insufficient to give birth due to their age. And usually if successful the child would be the one to suffer from birth problems.


      The Dowry which originates in Hammurabi in early times although legally prohibited in 1961 the dowry still exist up to the present times. This practice is about giving the payments of cash or kind of the family of the bride to his groom together with the bride to support the family. This has often been the results of the abuse of the groom’s family asking a large amount of sum or estate from the family of the bride. There are numbers of bride burning killing the women to death, evidently if the amount is not sufficient for the family of the groom record shows that this happens and records shows numbers of casualties has been neglected.


      Rape cases are also rampant especially among women who belong to a low social class, but the law has prohibited the women to stand up and their families are expected to secrecy and privacy rather than suing the criminals. That is why most women who suffered from the crime remains in silence but heavily burden with anxiety and helplessness.


      Only a few elite women can handle their precious possession unless otherwise given the opportunity by their husband. Upon the death of the husband the wife cannot inherit any of their properties but can only be given to their children. In commercial and business communities there are only limited positions available for women and even if they had the opportunity to be employed they are forced to accept a lower salary not based on their education and performance but to their gender preferences which is an absolute for men. In Barak valley the majority of women are reserved mostly in household activities. Their officials are mostly men and if there are women they will only be a subordinate and cannot held a higher position than men.  


      Unfortunately these cultures is being practiced mostly in Barak Valley and in most larger part of India up to the present times, but has been accepted by women until this time, only if they have an organization or rebellious desire to free themselves, this issue of human violation for women can only be settled but women up to this present times has not stand to change their position. Although in Barak Valley, they may say that a certain freedom for women has been exercised differently from other Indian district but still absolute freedom cannot be performed.   



Credit:ivythesis.typepad.com


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