Night Hunting, a centuries-old Bhutanese practice that allows men to have sex with unknown but 'consenting' women, may or may not lead to marriage. Sathya Saran on a system that continues to produce hapless girls, many of whom are pregnant and abandoned.
At first, there is skepticism. Then there was hesitation. The average urban Bhutanese does not want to talk about night hunting. Especially not with a journalist.
But, perhaps because I come from a country with its own odd-to-foreign-eyes customs and traditions, there is a slow unfolding. Finally, there must be a willingness to share. Reactions range from shamefaced admissions and denials to a fervent defense of an age-old tradition.
Night hunting does exist, in both new and old forms.
To begin with, night hunting does not necessarily imply hunting at night. Originally known as Bomena, the custom in rural eastern Bhutan permitted courtship between two consenting parties. Boys, and even grown men, would scale the first floor of a girl's home in order to sleep in her bed.
A girl would frequently leave a window or door unlatched for her suitor. The darkness was a perfect cloak, and the visitor would frequently leave before the cock crowed and the family awoke. If he was apprehended, he would complete the circle by marrying the girl and moving into her home. Even if this does not happen, marriage or a life together may occur. Even if a girl's errant suitor abandoned her after she became pregnant, there was no real stigma attached. The girl would find another man who would love her and her child as if they were his own.
"My male classmates used to go night hunting when I was in high school," admits Lily Wangchhuk, a former diplomat who is now the executive director of the newly formed Bhutan Media Foundation. "Yes, there were cases of some making women pregnant, in which case they had to pay a family penalty, such as digging up a field or agreeing to marry."
She adds that there was little stigma associated with the practice. "However, it was and still is a practice limited to the east."
There are numerous stories about men going on night hunting expeditions. The lone "hunter" out on his own in search of a tryst with his chosen love was not always the norm. Groups of young men would prowl the village, entering selected homes, decimating the group as each dropped off to climb into a selected house.
However, not all were successful. A bad decision, a misplaced bed, or a noisy landing could wake the household, and a hasty retreat would be the only way to avoid paternal wrath. It didn't stop the thwarted from venturing out at the next available opportunity, though.
However, times have changed, as have attitudes. Now that the country's doors have been opened to some extent, urbanisation and social norms from outside are causing new ripples in a custom that once reflected a pastoral way of life.
Steel door latches and metal locks keep hunters out and damsels in. Night hunting, with its risks, has become less appealing for women as social norms have changed, dating has become more open, and the law requires a father's name for a child to enter school.
Bhutan is debating whether the custom should be preserved. Male chauvinism, once thought to be unquestionable, is now being called into question. The question of whether every night hunt is consensual is being raised.
Even as the rest of Bhutan, particularly its still-developing media, grapples with the ethical and social aspects of night hunting in a part of the country that is geographically and socially remote from the capital, where the majority of the media is based, the practice has morphed to include new, more fearsome aspects.
"There is so much migration to the towns," says an unnamed Indian observer, "that the villages hardly have any men left." To top it all off, he says, the sexual desire is irresistible.
He explains that the practice became corrupted when city-based officials or professionals on postings to east Bhutan became attracted to the beautiful eastern women, who in turn granted the men liberties due to either their implicit faith in an old custom or their desire for a new life.
"As a result, women frequently become easy prey." And, more often than not, they end up abandoned and destitute."
Ugyen Tenzin, editor of Bhutan Today, expands. "Decades ago, there was a system of providing a pretty girl, as well as food, drink, and presents, to a visiting government dignitary." Things have changed today, and officials are under strict orders not to indulge (in the practice). I know because I've traveled with ministers and we're all told not to drink or go night hunting."
However, the custom has not ended. "Chemistry is a powerful force, and the village girls are both beautiful and vulnerable." We go there, drink, get tired, and then it could happen. The girls say no, but it's not always a serious no. Occasionally, a relationship blossoms. The girl writes down the man's phone number, and they stay in touch. It can sometimes lead to marriage. And it can sometimes lead to a married man being divorced by his wife. "Everything goes very smoothly; there are no cases of rape or violence," Tenzin says.
Inside her spacious office, Chimi Wangmo, executive director of Renew, a foundation that empowers and rehabilitates women in distress throughout Bhutan, has a much stronger stance on the issue.
"Consensual is a fine line to walk; the trick is figuring out how the girl consents." What are the specifics? Often, she succumbs to the desire for a new life, but, as in Hindi films, she is left pregnant, abandoned, and heartbroken."
She adds that in many cases, her family comes to her aid. The case is reported to the village headman, and a family male lends his name to the child, granting him or her access to education and other citizen rights.
"The real issue arises when a girl is poor or does not have family support." If a girl is the unacknowledged child of a night hunt and is living with relatives as an orphan, she may be "offered" to a wealthy visiting official in the hope of favors or a chance that he will take her away with him. It never really works out that way, and if the girl becomes pregnant, the vicious cycle begins again."
Renew has volunteers in each of the country's 20 districts to educate and protect women, and the network allows anyone to request assistance. Police officers are also being trained to be sensitive to gender issues.
In an effort to give illegitimate children their rights, Renew also provides DNA testing and legal aid if a mother can identify the father of her child. Gawa, The Other Side of the Moon tickets are sold out in the city center. It is a full-length feature film produced by Renew about the negative consequences of night hunting as a practice.
Both men and women are in the crowd outside the theatre. I'm wondering if this is the start of something new.
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