The Dhuku system among Jharkhand’s tribals has undermined the concept of matrimony for centuries. It’s a live-in relationship that is acceptable but not recognised as legit by the tribal society.
Worse, the children of Dhuku couples are outcasts, with no economic, familial or social support system.
However, a Ranchi-based voluntary organisation has taken up the challenge to get rid of this ostracization.
The Dhuku system is prevalent among the Korwa and some other tribes and is the unfortunate result of poverty and social subjugation. Dhuku literally means ‘to move in’ or ‘enter’ in Mundari.
According to custom, a tribal couple must organise a grand feast for the entire village if they tie the knot. Tribal society does not recognise the marriage as solemnised without the banquet, which entails exorbitant costs, sometimes running into lakhs. This is an impossibility for the impoverished tribal youth, many of whom work as daily wagers.
Financially incapable of holding a village feast, the option is for the Dhukni to move in with the man, Dhukua. This is acceptable, but it’s not a wedding, and such women are not entitled to their Dhukua’s property or other assets. They are not recognised by the families or community either. The women cannot use any symbols of being married, such as sindoor. The term Dhukni itself is derogatory, making the woman sound like a usurper
To stop this practice, NGO Nimitta has been searching out Dhuku couples and organising their weddings for five years now. Despite the odds, hundreds of marriages have been formalised across Khunti, Simdega and Gumla districts.
This year, the aim is to solemnise 1,320 such marriages. And Nimitta is taking further initiatives for women empowerment. “We engaged three female pastors to perform rituals for the first time, as 43 Christian marriages were solemnised today,” says Nikita Sinha, who is secretary of the NGO.
“We have also decided to engage female pandits from Varanasi to perform the rituals of Hindu marriages,” she adds.
The mission formally began on February 12 this year at the football stadium in Khunti. But with the Covid-19 situation hindering, and as the local administration did not allow a gathering of more than 50, the marriage season could continue only till March in Murhu and Karra blocks of Khunti and Basia block of Gumla.
With some help, these tribal couples have got social security and their ‘happily-ever-after.’
