TRIBAL WOMEN CHOOSE THEIR LIVE-IN PARTNER

Jaipur: A few months back India woke up to ‘Bulli Bai’ and ‘Sulli Deals’ apps that enabled fake online ‘auctions’ of women. But little do many people know that in far tribal area of Rajasthan, even today in the name of custom some women are being auctioned.

This tradition is called ‘Nata’, here man pays money for a livein relationship with a woman he likes, he can only live-in when she breaks marriage with the first husband and passes on his wife to another man in return of cash or kind.

The strangest thing is Panchayat or head of tribe decides price that has to be paid for ‘Nata’. Price can range from a few hundred to lakhs, depending on capacity of man who is interested in woman.

To find out the actual ground reality, First India visited tribal dominated Banswara district, what we saw was shocking. At least five cases of ‘Nata’ exist in each village; there are over 1500 tribal villages in Rajasthan.

Paru Devi of Anandpuri, a mother of two had Nata last year. After her husband’s death, she left house & went with her new husband to live-in.

To know more about the existing custom we spoke to Jayesh Joshi, who has devoted his life to tribal community.

Joshi says tribal customs and traditions have evolved for good cause and have empowered community, but over years bad practices could have plunged into it, “It is only through education that tradition can survive & changes can come.”