Polyandry in a Hatti Village of Himachal Pradesh, Northern India
"A Long-standing Tradition in the Village"
Controversy has arisen in India, where polyandry is legally prohibited, after it was revealed that a woman married two brothers at the same time.
According to the Hindustan Times on the 23rd (local time), a wedding ceremony was held over three days starting from July 12 in a Hatti village in Himachal Pradesh, northern India, where the groom brothers, Pradeep Negi and Kapil Negi, married the bride, Sunita Chauhan, in front of hundreds of relatives and villagers. All three are members of the Hatti community.
The image shows brothers from the Hatti tribe in India who married the same woman simultaneously. Screenshot from social media (SNS).
Polyandry is banned by law in India. However, for some tribes such as the Hatti, this practice is a long-standing tradition. The groom brothers stated, "We are following a proud tradition," and added, "This was a decision made together." They also told PTI, "Our entire family supports our wife, and we will create a stable life for her together and love her."
The Hatti community consists of about 300,000 people living across approximately 450 villages in the border area between Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Polyandry is common among the Hatti because they believe that if brothers marry different women, the family's farmland would be divided into smaller plots, making farming difficult. Three years ago, the Hatti were officially recognized by the Indian government as a Scheduled Tribe. A Scheduled Tribe is a group that has been historically, socially, or economically marginalized or disadvantaged, and is legally protected. As a result, the Hatti have been granted recognition of their customary law, and polyandrous marriages are exceptionally permitted.
The Hindustan Times explained, "According to Hatti custom, the wife alternates between the brothers based on a mutually agreed schedule, and the family raises the children together without discrimination," and "legally, the elder brother is considered the father of the children." It is reported that one of the brothers is a government employee, while the other works abroad.
After photos of their wedding were shared online and news of the polyandrous marriage spread, the All India Democratic Women's Association (AIDWA), a women's rights group, condemned the marriage. Mariam, the AIDWA secretary-general, told local media, "Such acts of exploiting women violate women's fundamental rights." On the other hand, a local legislator from the couple's region defended them, stating, "Polyandry is a long-standing tradition in the village."
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