Program(s):
Leading up to my time in India, I knew I roughly wanted to research something in the realm of property law - something along the lines of how land and property is used to subjugate certain groups within the nation and how it works into greater social hierarchies and themes. However, once in India, I realized how patriarchal the majority of society in New Delhi was, but I kept hearing snippets of a handful of families that break tradition and allow female descendants to inherit property or families that eschewed the norms altogether and follow a matrilineal structure.
It is my goal of this project to interview a variety of individuals who are linked to female-centric succession in one way or another, whether they be from matrilineal groups, inherited property by being the sole heir, or are involved in property disputes or inheritance through a legal perspective. The interviews I conduct will be analyzed referring back to previous research done on women's role in succession in the Indian subcontinent, and I plan to examine both the historical and contemporary societal norms and exceptions that surround the subject.
In the Delhi portion of the program, I conducted a series of email interviews with Shobita Punja, an art historian who guided our program's visit to the National Gallery and happens to come from a matrilineal background. In the first month of our program, I also visited a number of Hindu temples and shrines that focus on the mother goddess while I was in the state of Maharashtra for independent travel. These religious sites were relevant cultural background for my topic, especially through the yonic and procreational imagery shown alongside the emphasis of the woman.
In Chennai, I was able to conduct two highly successful interviews. First, I spoke with Kavitha Muralidharam, a journalist who gave me valuable background knowledge on inheritance, dowry, and familial obligation in Tamil Nadu. For my second interview, I spoke with Priya Ramachandran, a lawyer who has done work affiliated with local human rights groups, especially regarding property and inheritance disputes. She was able to give me insights into certain legal aspects of inheritance, preference towards sons or son-in-laws, and specific cases and attitudes she has handled.