"If you want to know how much the Khasis favour women just take a trip to the labour ward at the hospital," he says.
"If it's a girl, there will be great cheers from the family outside. If it's a boy, you will hear them mutter politely that, 'Whatever God gives us is quite all right.'"
Mr Pariat cites numerous examples of how his fellow brethren are being demoralised. These include a fascinating theory involving the way that gender in the local Khasi language reflects these basic cultural assumptions.
"A tree is masculine, but when it is turned into wood, it becomes feminine," he begins.
"The same is true of many of the nouns in our language. When something becomes useful, its gender becomes female.
"Matriliny breeds a culture of men who feel useless
https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-16592633
women do not trust men to look after their money so they take control of it themselves. I glance at Alfred for a response but he musters only a smile.
Mary goes on: "Most men in our village leave school early to help their fathers in the fields. This is a great detriment to their education."
I turn to Alfred once more. He responds with another shy smile.
Mary admits she has never heard of the men's right's movement, but thinks the system will never change.
