Two brothers from the Sirmaur district Himachal Pradesh defended their decision to marry the same woman and said that the organization was followed by centuries -old community tradition.
Pradeep Negi and Kapil Negi, from the SHillai Thindo family, married Sunita Chauhan from Kunhat under “Iodidar Prath”-form of fraternal polyanders practiced between the Hatti community in the Trans-Giri area. In some parts of Himachal Pradesh and neighboring Uttarakhand, a habit, also known locally as “iodidara”, is also monitored.
In a video published on Facebook, the older brother Pradeep said that practice is “deeply rooted in culture” and is not a question of personal publicity. “This is our tradition and we are ashamed of it. We are not influenced by criticism of social media. Similar customs also exist in the Jauunsar-Bawar area in Uttarakhand,” he said.
The younger brother Kapil stressed that the marriage was consensual. “Our wife, our family and we both agreed. It was not forced. We have a blessing of our community,” he said.
The brothers explained that the primary purpose of such marriages was to historically prevent the heirs of the heirs to divide between heirs – an important consideration for families living in the hills. The eldest brother is traditionally considered to be the legal father of children born from such trade unions.
The three -day wedding, which took place since July 12 in Shillai, represented folk music, traditional dances and community celebrations.
Pradeep, which urged people to respect their selection, said, “We want to remain united and maintain love between us. We are happy and do not want unnecessary judgment from outsiders.”
(Tagstotranslate) fraternal polyandria
