Tura, March 8: Young and elderly women gathered today at Chandmari playground here to embark on a mission to revive and restore the customary rights of women in Garo hills.

In matrilineal Garo society, women as head of a particular clan in a village enjoy rights over land and natural resources in an A'king land (community land/area). Head of a particular clan is given the title of a nokma, the village head.

Traditionally, a woman is a village head while the husband is supposed to assist her. But over the years, things have changed and men are at the centrestage for taking decisions related to village affairs.

Mothers' Union, one of the oldest women's organisations since 1941, today made its voice heard, apt for this year's International Women's Day theme - Be Bold for Change - to make the authorities realise that the traditional practices and the position of a woman in Garo society has to be restored.

"In Garo society, female descendants are recognised as rightful owners of the A'king land belonging to a particular mahari (clan). The female is, therefore, conferred the title of nokma and all the powers relating to the land are her birthright to be exercised on the advice of the chras (maternal uncles) of the clan," said Mothers' Union secretary Sume B. Sangma, at the gathering.

The members said it was the responsibility of all educated women to create awareness on the rights of the nokma, who enjoy a very powerful position in Garo society.

"The husband of the nokma is designated as male nokma but only for the purpose of assisting her in the execution of her land powers. However, today, men are taking all the decisions without even consulting the real nokma," Mothers' Union president Balsa Sangma said.

The union felt that today there was a perception in society that nokma is a man, which is not correct.

"People understand that nokma is a female but knowingly or unknowingly they assume that the husband of the nokma takes the decisions on land and other resources in a particular clan. It could be because of the fact that most nokmas in rural areas are not educated and their husbands take advantage," Balsa added.

After holding the public meeting, the women took to the streets, marched to the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC) office and submitted a petition to chief executive officer Denang T. Sangma seeking restoration of customary rights of the women.

In the petition, the union said many illegitimate male custodians of the A'king land have mushroomed in rural areas. They engage in a battle to become nokmas by indulging in many immoral activities and influencing unlettered and simple nokmas.

It asked the council to correct these anomalies and consider all decisions taken by the Nokma Council (which comprises mostly men) invalid if those are not represented by 90 per cent legitimate women nokmas.