Campaign against ‘khap’ decisions in Haryana

ROHTAK - With a rising number of illegal decisions being announced by ‘khap panchayats’ (community or village courts), especially against young married couples belonging to the same ‘gotra’ (lineage), a campaign has been launched in this Haryana district to put to an end to the pernicious practice.

The Rohtak district administration has urged the representatives of khap panchayats to desist from pronouncing unilateral and controversial decisions and have been urged to instead work for the welfare of the society.

Rohtak Deputy Commissioner P.C. Meena and Superintendent of Police Anil Kumar Rao Saturday visited villages in the district - Bahu Akbarpur, Bhali and Pehrawar - and interacted with people who were associated with the khap panchayats.

The administration asked khap members not to pronounce any decision which adversely affected the rights of any particular community or section of the society or any individual.

In recent months, khap panchayat decisions have led to murders after objections were raised, particularly against couples from the same gotra getting married. Affected families have faced social boycott and turned out of villages after the khaps arbitrarily ruled against them even at the cost of going against the law.

The district officials cautioned the khap panchayats that the district administration would not hesitate from taking legal action against those panchayats which would take “atrocious and anti-society decisions” in future.

They said that the khap panchayats should immediately stop taking unilateral decisions that were directly or indirectly affecting the society. They added that the khap panchayats and village councils (panchayats) should unitedly work for eradication of social evils like female foeticide.