Complexities of Khasi tribe on celluloid

Aplace in India where people rejoice when a girl is born and houses bear the names of women is Meghalaya. It is a state that has been practicing matrilineal system for “2,000 years”, and gives Khasi women the right to inherit family wealth.

In his documentary Are They Better Off, filmmaker Aditya Seth tries to explore the slowly diminishing Khasi culture and difficulties that the Khasi tribe face today.

The film — screened for the first time recently at the India International Centre — is an exposition in Meghalaya and also traces its socio-political complexities by documenting how the state’s traditional and cultural values are slowly diluting. 

Elaborating on what fascinated him about the subject, Seth says, “While we have grown up in an environment where female feticide is rampant, there is actually another society where women are dignified and not discriminated against. This aspect fascinated me to go to Meghalaya and explore how they function,” Seth tells Metrolife.

In the 60 minute film, Seth discovers various aspects of matriliny through the lives of three women — Hulda Linda Kynta, 52, Selinda Kharbuki, 29 and Jubelee Kharmujai, 23. They are ‘Khatduhs’, the youngest daughters of Khasi matrilineal clans from Meghalaya.

According to Khasi traditions, the property of a family will be inherited by ‘Khatduh’, who will be a part of the family for the longest period of time.

Seth says that Shillong is very cosmopolitan. There are people from Punjab, Tamil Nadu and Bihar living there, yet they are “suspicious of outsiders who are not Khasi”.
“With Kynta helping me as subject specialist for the film, I didn’t face much aggression from the people while shooting. However, they are not very willing to talk to outsiders, and in the villages, it's even worse,” says Seth.

Kynta, a lecturer of political science, is originally from Cherrapunji and has spent 15 years in Delhi. Given the “wrong information” that has been circulated about Khasi tribe on TV, documentaries and social media, she wanted to help Seth in the film to document facts and highlight the current status of the tribe.

“In our society, people don’t look down upon single mothers. Instead of being with men who are involved with other women and are drunkards, Khasi women prefer staying alone. And since children take the mother's name, no single mother will ever have an illegitimate child,” says Kynta.

On being asked about the difficulties that the tribe is facing, she adds, “Since the youth is moving to  cities for better opportunities, Khasi parents and grandparents fear that their children and grandchildren will not take forward our tradition and will not speak the language.”

Kynta also highlights that there are lesser educated Khasi men than women, and this is because men “don’t have a sense of belonging.”

“Khasi men will generally be more insecure and will be seen indulging in adultery. They live in the fear of being thrown out of the mother’s or sister’s house. After marriage, a Khasi man will be respected more if he brings some inheritance with him,” says Kynta.