Shimla, July 26,
In the remote tribal belts of Himachal Pradesh, particularly in villages like Shillai (Sirmaur district) and Bharmour (Chamba district), an ancient custom has returned to the spotlight — polyandry, the practice of a woman marrying multiple men, often brothers. A recent case in Shillai, where two brothers jointly married the same woman, has reignited public debate, not just about cultural traditions but about a deeper, demographic crisis lurking beneath the surface.
While polyandry is often explained through the lens of tradition — particularly among the Hatti and Gaddi communities — experts are increasingly pointing to a critical contributing factor: the region’s severely skewed sex ratio.
According to the 2025 Photo Electoral Rolls released by Himachal Pradesh’s Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Nandita Gupta, Shillai recorded the lowest female voter gender ratio in the state — just 820 women per 1,000 men. Bharmour followed with 930, both far below the state average of 981. These figures, while based on electoral data, paint a broader picture of gender imbalance in the population.
“A low sex ratio like this doesn’t occur in isolation,” said a senior sociologist at Himachal University. “It reflects and reinforces entrenched socio-cultural biases — from undervaluing girl children to unequal access to healthcare and education. But what’s emerging now is how this imbalance shapes marital and household structures. In places where women are scarce, customs like polyandry become not just cultural but adaptive responses.”
Historically, polyandry in the region was tied to economic reasons — especially the desire to keep land holdings intact by avoiding the division of ancestral property among multiple sons. But in today’s context, the resurgence of such practices raises uncomfortable questions: Is this truly about preserving tradition, or are communities being forced to adapt to a reality where women are simply too few?
In response to these worrying trends, the Election Department launched a targeted female voter registration campaign in June 2025. District officials cross-verified electoral rolls with panchayat records, and Booth Level Officers (BLOs) conducted door-to-door outreach to identify unlisted women voters. The result: a modest but significant improvement — Shillai’s voter gender ratio rose from 820 to 831, and Bharmour’s from 930 to 949 in just 45 days.
“This is more than just about voting,” CEO Nandita Gupta noted during a June visit to Shillai. “A complete and inclusive electoral roll reflects the health of our democracy — and also shines a light on deeper, structural inequalities we must confront.”
Indeed, experts stress that addressing this imbalance demands more than better data. It requires long-term, systemic interventions — improving girls’ access to education and healthcare, challenging patriarchal mindsets, and enforcing laws that protect women’s rights and dignity.
At its heart, the revival of polyandry in these regions is not merely a story about tradition — it’s a mirror reflecting the absence of women in villages where they once lived, loved, and led. Behind the unusual wedding rituals and viral headlines lies a demographic emergency that the voter rolls are beginning to reveal. Whether this is a cultural continuity or a coping mechanism, one thing is clear: the deeper issue is not who marries whom, but why so many women are missing in the first place.
About the Author
The HimachalScape Bureau comprises seasoned journalists from Himachal Pradesh with over 25 years of experience in leading media conglomerates such as The Times of India and United News of India. Known for their in-depth regional insights, the team brings credible, research-driven, and balanced reportage on Himachal’s socio-political and developmental landscape.
