In a commendable act, the Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu-led Congress government on April 4 set right a decades-old wrong through an amendment to an outdated landholding law that discriminates against women. Till now, in grave violation of the right to equality provided by the Constitution, the daughters of the state had been suffering gender bias. The Himachal Pradesh Ceiling on Land Holdings Act of 1972 allowed only an adult son to hold an additional 150 bighas (30 acres), taking the total permissible limit of land that a family could retain to 300 bighas. This right had been denied to his adult sister. Notably, religious outfits, tea estates, cooperative farming societies and land owned by state and Central governments are exempted from this Act.

The Himachal Pradesh Ceiling on Land Holdings (Amendment) Act 2023 is a landmark legislation that rectifies the error by treating the daughter on a par with the son. Thus now, prospectively, the adult daughter of a family is entitled to retain up to 150 bighas as a separate unit. The new Act will benefit families that have only daughters.

That it should have taken over half a century for the 1972 Act to be amended to bring the women on a parity with men underscores boldly the dominance of the patriarchal mindset. All these years, women have faced harassment and been forced to knock at the doors of courts to fight against glaring gender disparity. The unfair legislation of 1972 has been a big hurdle in them getting what should have rightfully been theirs all the while. Consequently, many families without sons have had to give up 150 bighas. Worse, this bigoted stipulation has had a regressive repercussion on the social attitude and outlook. In order to retain their properties, people have tended to have a preference for boys. The latest amendment also holds the promise of society shedding its traditional bias against girls. While being a case of better late than never, it does put the state on track to progress.
(Tribune, India)