Two brothers, Pradeep and Kapil Negi, from rural India have married the same woman, Sunita Chauhan, in a traditional three-day wedding ceremony, sparking controversy and debate over ancient customs and gender rights.
The practice of polyandry, where one woman marries multiple men, is banned in most parts of India but is still practiced in some tribal regions, including the Himalayan belt where the Hatti tribe resides.
The wedding, held on July 12 in Himachal Pradesh, was attended by hundreds of villagers and family members. The trio circled a sacred fire and participated in traditional rituals.
Polyandry is rooted in cultural and economic factors, historically practiced to keep land within a family and prevent division of property. The brothers stated that their decision was a joint one, and they aim to provide support, stability, and love for their wife as a united family.
Under the custom, the wife shifts between brothers on a mutually agreed schedule, and the family raises the children together. The eldest brother is named the legal father.
Meanwhile, the All India Democratic Women’s Association (AIDWA) condemned the wedding, describing it as “women’s exploitation” that goes against a woman’s fundamental rights.
Local lawmaker Harshwardhan Singh Chauhan defended the practice, citing the Hatti tribe’s customary law to protect polyandry.
A local Hatti leader, Kundal Lal Shashtri, justified the custom by referencing the ancient Indian epic Mahabharata, in which the character Draupadi married five brothers.
