| 1.15.4 Sex Among Uralis and Sex Education |
| Total privacy in sex is maintained between the married people and the unmarried persons, in the sense that sexual contact is indulged strictly during the night without the knowledge of the children. Sexual problems are generally not freely discussed among the husband and wife as well as among the elders of the family. Having sexual relationship with a menstruating woman and a pregnant woman are considered taboo. Also, it is against against the law to have sex with a post-natal mother for three months. Sex education is not given to the children by the elders. But, it is found that the mothers enforce restriction over the free movement of their daughters after the latter attained puberty. That is, the girls after puberty are not allowed to go to the forest alone and are always left with an elderly person in the house in the absence of the other members of the house. |
| 1.15.5. Sexual Abnormalities |
| While questioning about the nature of sexual abnormalities found among Uralis, the informants were reluctant to disclose any information. Later, they confirmed that known homosexuals and lesbians are the branded persons in the society and that sexual abnormalities such as nymphophylia and zoophylia, (the latter is found among the shephered boys) are observed rarely and that the promotors are severely criticised and punished by the society. Moreover, it is considered as a shameful behaviour. |
| 1.16. Broken Family and Divorce |
| As the Urali community allows selecting one’s own life partner, the social norms permit divorce too. Dissolution of the family is noticed on many grounds such as |
| i) |
non-compatibility among the husband and wife due to ideological differences, |
| ii) |
infertility or barrenness, and, |
| iii) |
illegal sexual relationship of any one of the family members with another person in the village. |
| iv) |
elopement of the girl with someone. |
| v) |
The inefficiency in taking care of the children and the household duties, in the case of wife. |
|
| Divorce is granted to the parties by the village council. However, before the divorce, the village council tries to settle the matter amicably. During the time of the divorce the `bride price’ given in the name of dowry to the bride is given back in the presence of the representatives of the village council to the bride groom’s parents or relatives. Along with this if the couple has any children the future of the children is decided in the council. Generally, the responsibility of looking after the children falls on the paternal grand parents. However, the village council does not raise its objection if any one of the parents is willing to keep and look after the children. |
