ABSTRACT
This chapter records men’s and women’s perceptions on matriliny and later compares their perceptions to develop an understanding on the points of contention (or cooperation) between men and women on how they view their lives in the matrilineal culture that they have been born and raised. The larger questions that this chapter engages with concerns if matriliny in Meghalaya disintegrating with the intrusion of mining or has matriliny been resilient despite the changing forces accompanying mining. What do men and women’s narrative reveals about this wind of change on matriliny, if there are any? What are the grounds on which men resist or support matriliny and what is their imagination of an ideal matrilineal structure? Are women’s reasons and conditions of supporting or resisting matriliny the same as men? By exploring these questions, this chapter aims to have a peek into the future of matriliny and what that means for the future of women’s status in Meghalaya while taking into account the background of mining that is getting increasingly integrated into the gendered fabric of the region.
