PROUD TO BE AN ORAON

This is well-known that many of tribal communities serve equal individuality to women though it varies from tribe to tribe (Sashi, 1978). Majumdar (1973) reveals a higher status of tribal women on some indicators while lower on another. Furer Haimendorf derives on Naga women in the Northeastern-states that “many women in most civilized parts of India may well envy the women of the Naga Hills, their high status and their free happy life and if you measure the cultural level of the people by the social position and personal freedom of its women you will think twice before looking down on the Nagas as savages” (1933, p. 101). Hutton (1921) articulates that among the Nagas women enjoy considerable freedom and high social status. Naga women have the right to choose their husbands and are never forced to marry against their will. Similarly, Elwin (1961) alludes to thefreedom enjoyed by Naga women and contended that the latter exercised significant decision-making power within their societies. Generally, tribal women have enjoyed greater freedom and higher status than Hindu women (Maharatna, 1998). Rivers (1973), Dalton (1872) and Grigson (1938) have reported low status of women among Todas, Kharies and Mariya Gonds with reference to certain taboos during certain periods and ceremonies. Many tribal societies are matrilineal and women in such social structures enjoy inheritance rights and privileges that are absent in patriarchal societies. Women in patriarchal societies often do not have economic independence and are therefore subjugated to lower household and social status. Decisions regarding marriage, fertility, and divorce on the women’s part are severely constrained (Mitra, A, 2007). In this order, Gonds community is patriarchal in nature and men are key decision makers in a family though women having the equal privileges in terms of marriage, work participation, inheritance rights etc. (Singh, 1994, p. 353).

Though the tribal women are having more fortunate in comparison to non-tribal women, yet long disparity can be seen among tribal women on the basis of education, health, employment status even in household amenities in comparison to tribal men. This is even more or less in every tribal community (Singh and Rajlaxmi, 1993).