Khap Panchayat: Does it really have any importance in present society? 

Khap panchayats have a long history of existence. Can it be used to strengthen the grass-root democracy or is there a need to abolish them?

Khap panchayats are a form of committees in the rural areas of India among the Jat community. The committees or community groups are neither elected bodies nor registered under any act of the Indian constitution. These set the rules in one or more villages. The historians and anthropologists have defined them as a part of Jat culture and tradition. However, some of the political scientists claim that khap panchayats have laid the foundation for the modern-day panchayat system. But some deny this claim and call it baseless.

Areas of existence

Khaps mainly exist in western UP, eastern Rajasthan and considered powerful in Rohtak, Jhajjar, Bhiwani, Sonepat, Jind, Kaithal, Karnal, and Hisar districts of Haryana.

Rules and Rulers

The rules and regulations set by the khap are self-regulatory Jat community and are still followed strictly, however, exceptions are always there. The regulatory body of Khap are mostly elders of the village or of an area (District or Tehsil). The punishments set by the khap can be severe and can lead to the expulsion of a person if found guilty.

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Their Demands  

Khap panchayats have put forth several demands to the government at different times among the among which the most important for them is a change in the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, but other sects of the society consider it as highly controversial. The demand is to ban the marriage within the same Gotra.

Relevance in Contemporary society

Social scientists claim that khaps have played an immense role for the resolution of local disputes in the functional areas on till the judicial system was established in India. But at the same time a counter paradigm suggests that it still has an immense role in existing areas. Most social scientists believe that over the time they have lost relevance. But in the last decade, they regained power due to issues such as ban on inter-Gotra marriage. Reports suggest that their functions are now less transparent, regressive, oppressive and in conflict with the constitution of India.

Supreme court on Khap

On April 19, 2011, Supreme Court issued a statement demanded strict criminal action against people in khaps and emphasized that the khap panchayats are illegal institutions and called their actions such as honor killings as “Barbaric and shameful”.

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Controversial Aspect

They came in limelight after killings of inter-Gotra married couples got media attention and several pleas were filed to sanction the khap in the country, however no such decision has been taken till date. Some the horrible and controversial events that led the interference of human rights activists in sanctioning them are honor killings, female feticides, and forced marriage.         

Reasons for not sanctioning khaps

Despite the supreme court statement and human rights activists’ fight against it the governments both at state level and central have failed miserably to curb their power and to sanction them. Vote bank is considered main reason among several other reasons for the failure. Alone in Haryana, the upper Jat community is 25 percent of the total population hence is makes good vote bank for the politicians. Acceptance of youth for the khap adds power to their strength and the illiteracy has also been termed as a reason of failure to curb them.

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