Garos: Matrilinearity & Patriarchy

I am proud to be GARO:

Every person and every culture is unique in its own way. Differences is the root of beauty. If everything is of the same feature, there will be no beauty at all. Variety makes the world beautiful, a wonderful place to live in. Every individual is  singular, so does different tribes have different cultures, with different ways of life. Cultures make every race and every country unique,  with different cultural activities and cultural rituals. Culture may also differ within a region, society or sub-group. This is what our country, India is. In every culture and in every race there are good things to talk about,  which must be kept retaining and bad things that must be discarded. So, everyone must be proud of its own uniqueness and; but must not give birth to racism. 

I’m very proud to be Garo and with head held high, would like to proudly share ONE of the MANY uniquenesses, that make our tribe/culture exceptional: “Garos are matrilineal but patriarchal”. Garos are one of the very few surviving matrilineal societies in the world. I’m very proud of this. Garos are not matriarchal but patriarchal. Garos are also matrilocal, i.e. a husband lives with the family of the wife. 

Matrilineal: tracing descent only through female lines.

Patrilineal: tracing descent only through male lines.

Matriarchal: female governs the family; a female is the leader/head of the family.

Patriarchal: male governs the family; a male is the leader/head of the family.

Garos retain their surnames even after marriage, i.e. surname of the male is not changed to female’s surname. Till death, children take their mother’s surname, irrespective of sex even after marriage. As cited above, Garos are matrilineal, matrilocal and the property is owned by women. Garos are again patriarchal where man govern the family, society and domestic affairs; and manage the property. This provides security to women, and both genders are treated and respected equally. Matrilinearity and patriarchy is what makes Garos different from other remaining matrilineal societies in the world.

(Majority of the Garos are in Meghalaya, North East India)

Count to three

Let us all count to three;
and vote for CHANGE,
by intense study of the tree
that imparts stability to longer range.

Look carefully at the tributary brook,

That quenches the thirst of every livelihood.
To him, concealed with vain words, never ever; 
and not being tempted to a filthy lucre.

Let us count one, two, three;

Choose wisely to be truly free.
Let us be still for a second and breathe, 
and proceed for the one with quality seed.

Meaning of the context:

Tree, brook (here): candidate, desired person, proposed leader

Longer range (here): that can reach to the needs of far and near, the poor and the rich;

Lucre: Gain in money or goods; profit; riches, often in a negative sense.