Arvindc
January 10th, 2013, 12:13 PM
While searching for some points in favor of Khaps on the web, for the Jan 14 Supreme court hearing, I came across statements from the reported Khap members, which, for a while, made me to think that nothing can be done against such stupidity.
I then thought of putting across some points which the khaps should introspect upon through this thread.
Foremost is that, a leader should have excellent communication skills, if not, a person with such skill could be appointed as a spokes person.
The statements like the one below, could definitely give wrong presentation of the Khaps as a self-governance institute.
From the news report: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/khaps-not-to-recognise-love-marriages-in-which-parents-are-absent/1057212/0
Another prominent Khap leader, Nafe Singh, said: “Earlier, people did not use to recognise Khaps, but now they have realised that we work without any considerations. While courts keep hearing cases for years, we decide a dispute within three days. What have we got to do with the government or law, if they do not recognise us? For many generations now, we had been following the same customs and have settled even murder cases.”
Not sure what Shri Nafe Singh Ji meant from the statement " “Earlier, people did not use to recognise Khaps, but now they have realised that we work without any considerations"
The phrase like
1. “Earlier, people did not use to recognise Khaps" gives the impression that Khaps were accepted by the society earlier and hence is not a customary community institution.
2. "we work without any considerations", implies that verdicts are given "just like that" without considering or giving any thought to the case.
3. "have settled even murder cases" sound more like a diktat. It would be more appropriate to say "have helped settling even murder cases", which gives the right meaning.
These could very well be because of miss-interpolation by the reporter, in which case, it would be good if Khap leaders could carry an affidavit from Shri Nafe Singh Ji for the same and ask the reporter to re-report the news with correct interpretation.
ravinderjeet
January 10th, 2013, 12:37 PM
जाट आज भी मन और कर्म से सीधे हैं वे सही बात भी इस ढंग से कहेंगे की सामने वाला जो चाहे मतलब निकाल ले । कई लोगों को जो अछा बोल लेते हैं उनको मीडिया कवरेज नहीं देता हे । इसका सीधा मतलब हे की आज मीडिया जट्टों को बदनाम कर के अपना पत्र भर रहा हे । आज मीडिया के साथ भी समझाने और ना समझाने पर दंड देने की निति पर चलना पडेगा ।
kapdal
January 19th, 2013, 03:24 AM
This is a great thread. While we push back against the highly skewed presentation of Khaps and Jats, it is equally important that we are not blind to Khaps' shortcomings. Feedback should also be given to Khaps on their mistakes and where they have room for reform & improvement. It is hoped that they will be open to healthy criticism from within the community.
kapdal
January 26th, 2013, 06:38 PM
http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-01-21/india/36462030_1_khap-panchayats-gotra-marriages-acharya-baldev
With a court case against Khaps, is this what they could think of discussing? There is again no thought behind how such statements in media are affecting the image of the community. With so much limelight, one would have hoped some wise words from these Khap leaders. Very disappointing.
The demand itself is illogical. It is similar to demands from some sections to ban the Khaps. Now Khaps are saying close down the temples. Everyone has a right to exist.
There are so many local issues worth discussing. If you routinely pick up things that are not important but will catch media's attention, what exactly is your moral authority?
Drghasil
January 27th, 2013, 06:07 PM
Its good to have some social platform , to initiate social reform and at some point khaps must have great job in past but now they are behave like Taliban , Khaps need to reformed and need lot of introspection. in its current form khaps are heading toward 18th century. Needs to be changed otherwise will disappear with time circle. khaps behaving like Taliban, Saddam and few more and will have similar end unless are reformed.
Samarkadian
January 27th, 2013, 06:31 PM
Its good to have some social platform , to initiate social reform and at some point khaps must have great job in past but now they are behave like Taliban , Khaps need to reformed and need lot of introspection. in its current form khaps are heading toward 18th century. Needs to be changed otherwise will disappear with time circle. khaps behaving like Taliban, Saddam and few more and will have similar end unless are reformed.
Ram,
Do you really meant what you ve just stated above? If not, take it back else prove it.
vvk1987
January 28th, 2013, 02:27 AM
http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-01-21/india/36462030_1_khap-panchayats-gotra-marriages-acharya-baldev
with a court case against khaps, is this what they could think of discussing? There is again no thought behind how such statements in media are affecting the image of the community. With so much limelight, one would have hoped some wise words from these khap leaders. Very disappointing.
The demand itself is illogical. It is similar to demands from some sections to ban the khaps. Now khaps are saying close down the temples. Everyone has a right to exist.
There are so many local issues worth discussing. If you routinely pick up things that are not important but will catch media's attention, what exactly is your moral authority?
ये ना सुधरें भाई i इन नै जाट बिरादरी की इज्ज़त का मटियामेट करण की पक्की ठान राखी सै i घणे कोन्या ये पचास साठ के करीब ठाली माणस हैं जो खाम खां के उल-जलूल ब्यान देते रहवैं सें i बताओ भाई आर्य समाज जिसी बढ़िया संस्था जो रूढीवादी परम्पराओं के खिलाफ रही है और चरित्र-निर्माण पर जोर देती है उसके भी खिलाफ हो लिए i इन नै बूझियो ये कौनसी फिलोसफी ल्याना चाह्वैं सें i
bharti
February 14th, 2013, 06:21 PM
Dear fellow members,
I had the opportunity of meeting Dr K C Yadav recently and would like to share with you all this article by him.
HARYANA’S KHAP PANCHAYATS
Understanding their Gotra row
K.C. Yadav
Haryana’s Khap panchayats continue to make news with their belligerent stand for what some people call their ‘archaic code of honour’ and ‘retrograde thinking’. The panchayats, however, refuse to buy the argument. They have served their people for thousands of years, they say, and are still useful in many ways.
The two opposing stands need a middle way that understands both for resolving the conflict. History may, I think, stand a good stead here.
‘Tributory Republics’
The Haryana villages have always been, what Sir George Campbell, an authority on the subject, aptly calls, ‘tributory republics’ throughout their long history. Countless rulers came and went but hardly anyone tried to change their cast or character. ‘Those in possession of village areas were left in possession, and were allowed to manage their own affairs, subject only to the State right to receive its dues’.
The village panchayats, comprising, in Sir Percival Spear’s words, ‘rustic philosophers’ chosen by the villagers themselves, took care of the common affairs of the villages.
The people’s own creation which helped them live securely, this dispensation worked creditably and resiliently, withstanding the onslaughts of nature and man through ages. Sir John Lawrence, who had pretty intimate knowledge of Haryana villages, has explained the truth very aptly in his classic assessment of 1844. ‘(At no other place) the ancient village communities are’, he says, ‘in such excellent preservation (as in the Haryana territory), or where the practice of our civil courts has done so little harm. … Bound together by the ties of blood connection and, above all, common interest, like the bundle of sticks … they are difficult to break’.
Sir John’s countryman, Thomas Fortescue, a seasoned bureaucrat of almost the same time and standing, elegantly described their functioning on the principle of justice, equity and fair play. ‘Injustice or partiality are not charged to these tribunals’, ‘he says,’ and it is no weak proof in their favour that we found a perfect equality amongst the people in rank and fortune’.
Small wonder, then, we see, as hinted above, neither the church nor the state, whatever their nature, trying to interfere in the affairs of our villages. Even the great Mughals kept away. And surprise of surprises, even the British based their civil legal system, to a large extent, not on the modern tanets or the shastra and sharia, but on people’s laws – customs, first codified as wajib-ul-urz (village customs) and later Riwaj-i-Am (general, district level customs).
The secret of survival
How, one might ask, these organizations could stand and survive the way they did over centuries ? There have been several reasons for that, the wiseheadsay, but two seem most important – one is recognition of diversity on their part and the second is decentralization of their functions and power. The village consisted of several social entities like caste (Hindu, Muslim, etc.), clan (gotra), khandan and parivar. Each one of these had distinct identity and governed its own affairs autonomously, through panchayats in the first two cases and through their elders (bujurgas) in the latter. Concerned as we are here with gotra panchayats, popularly called khap panchayats in some regions, especially in the ones dominated by Jats, let us discuss them at some length
The gotra (khap) panchayats
The word gotra has several meanings. However, in the region under study, i.e. Haryana, it means an ‘extended family’ – ‘bhaichara’. Contextually important as it is, it may be pointed that the gotras are of two types – in case of one we know distinctly their origin and history and in the case of second both the things are not known distinctly. Most of the Jat gotras belong to the first type. We know the histories of the founding of most of their villages and their origin. Let me elaborate it.
(1) The four gotras (clans) of Jakhar, Kadian, Piru and Sangwan settled in one locality in Rohtak have sprung from four brothers born of one father, namely Lada (Jakhu), Kadi, Piru and Sanghu. Being blood-relations, there has never been, thus, any question of inter-marriage with one another in their collectives.
(2) Similarly, Dalal, Deswal, Man and Sihag clans, who sprang from four brothers, Dille, Desal, Man and Sahiya respectively, being brother-gotras. They would not marry with each other.
(3) Ahlawat, Auhlan, Birmah, Marah and Joon clans had similar origin from the five brothers Ahla, Aula, Birmah, Marah and Joon. Hence no inter-marriages.
(4) And so was the case with Rathi, Rohal and Dhankar clans who sprang from two brothers, Bhaga (Rathi) and Jogi, the former from Bhaga (Rathi), and the latter two from Jogi’s two sons, Rohal and Dhauna. Hence, no marriage among their off-springs.
(5) Same is the case with other major Jat clans like Hooda, Malik (Gathwala), Dahiya, Sehrawat, Gulia and 137 minor ones. They forbid marriage within their own clans, i.e. sagotra marriages on the same count.
The intensity of the feeling of bhaichara and of hurt if the feeling was hurt, was, and still is, deep and wide in the blood-gotras as they know for certain that they have close bhaichara. It may not be so deep and wide in the case of those gotras whose history of origin is, for reason of longer time or any other reason, not distinctly known.
The present problem
Why marriages are, many people ask, the main problem with the khap panchayats ? ‘Why should they interfere in this personal matter of people? Their interference has historical basis. Marriages have always been, as Ian Talbot who has studied the subject at lenght says, important factor in maintaining biradaris’ cohesion, identity and integrity through ages. Therefore, ‘these were always strictly regulated by the biradari panchayats or ruling councils.’ In other words, the individuals were, and are, absolutely free to contract marriages but with some restrictions necessary for greater good of the biradaris.
The people have followed the panchayat rules for ages – literally and religiously. In the present times, however, these have begun to receive jolts, especially after the passage of, first the Hindu Marriage Disabilities Removal Act, 1946 and, later the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, permitting sagotra marriages. The law-framers did not care to understand people’s feeling. The people do not care to understand their law. They consider their time-tested law (custom) as sacred. The result is : conflict, and chaos and some times even violence.
Solution of the problem
(I) Informed people with just disposition in the civil society, government, media and others should come forward and help, in public interest, to resolve the problem with the help of the concerned people.
(II) The hostile critics of the panchayats and ‘village values’ – the element of bhaichara in this case – should borrow Gandhiji’s eye to look at the problem and create a healthy atmosphere for resolving it.
In the end, an important historical fact should be carefully noted to have a proper historical perspective to clear misunderstandings about this old institution. The foremost charge against the panchayats is that they are against change. History is witness to their playing a big role in our poor and backward region in reforming the society and making it what it is today. They brought about renaiss-ance here. Not only that, they played an important part even in the political matters in the most difficult times in their history. On Gandhiji’s call during the freedom struggle, they boycotted official courts and turned their panchayats into rastriya nayalayas and their schools into rastriya schools (the famous Jat School of Rohtak. Turned as such on Gandhiji’s call in February 1921). They started powerful movement for women education (Kanya Gurukulas, Putri Pathshalas), Dalit Uplift Movement (Achhutoddhar Andolan) and so forth. To paint them as obscurantisic, anti-social change, and ‘Talibans’ tantamounts to showing ignorance of history. They do change when necessary. They have discarded, over the time, countless outdated, non-useful customs/ traditions/ rituals. They live in modernity without giving up their cultural heritage. They speak Gandhiji’s language – ‘What we have tested and found true on the anvil of experience, we dare not change. Many thrust their advice upon India, and she remains steady. This is her beauty : it is the sheet anchor of our hope’ (Hind Swaraj)’.
No-violence, please
History tells us that panchayats have never used violence or viciousness while resolving problems. They made decisions on the principles of justice, equity and fair play. They used social and moral pressure – not physical or any other force – and/or small, reasonable punishment, to set their erring folks on right path. A few people from the villages who take to violence, killings, etc. should not be confused to have anything to do with panchayats. These abrasions should be treated the way they deserve.
To the youth
A word to our youth. They should, while serving their concerns, always keep in mind Amartya Sen’s wise counsel that ‘we live in a society and that there are other people around’.
Prof. K. C. Yadav
Director,
Haryana Academy of History and Culture, Gurgaon.
phoolkumar
February 20th, 2013, 09:55 PM
शादी में दादी का गोत्र टालने की तैयारी में खाप पंचायतें
जींद . खाप पंचायतें अब शादी के लिए दादी के गोत्र को टालने और खाप क्षेत्र में भी शादी को सहमति देने की तैयारी में हैं। इसको लेकर जल्द खापों की महापंचायत भी बुलाई जाएगी।
इसकी जानकारी मंगलवार को जाट धर्मशाला में प्रेस वार्ता करते हुए सर्व खाप पंचायत हरियाणा संयोजक कुलदीप सिंह ढांडा ने दी। इस दौरान विभिन्न खाप प्रतिनिधि मौजूद रहे। इस अवसर पर खापों की ओर से सुप्रीम कोर्ट में पेश किए गए दावों के बाद खापों के हक में फैसला आने की उम्मीद भी जताई गई है।
दादी के गोत्र से भी हट सकती है रोक
खाप प्रतिनिधियों ने कहा कि आज सामाजिक परिवेश तेजी से बदल रहा है। ऐसे में सामाजिक ढांचे में भी बदलाव की जरूरत है। समय-समय पर खापों ने इन बदलावों पर सहमति जताई है। शादी के दौरान पहले वर व वधू का नानी का गोत्र मिलता था तो शादी नहीं होती थी। बाद में उसे टाल दिया गया। अब वर व वधू की मां और दादी के गोत्र शादी के लिए एक जैसे नहीं होने चाहिएं।
खाप पंचायतें अब दादी के गोत्र को भी टालने का मन बना रही हैं। इससे शादियां करने में आसानी होगी। साथ ही अभी तक बारहा, तपा और खाप क्षेत्र के गांवों में शादियां नहीं हो रही हैं। इसे भी बदलकर शादी करने की अनुमति का प्रस्ताव रखा गया है। कई खापों ने तो यह शुरू भी कर दिया है, लेकिन सामूहिक फैसला लेने के लिए जल्द ही खापों की पंचायत बुलाई जाएगी।
सुप्रीम कोर्ट में हरियाणा से दस दावे
कुलदीप ढांडा ने बताया कि ऑनर किलिंग मामले में सुप्रीम कोर्ट द्वारा जवाब-तलब करने पर सर्व खाप पंचायत हरियाणा ने सुप्रीम कोर्ट में अपना जवाब-दावा सेवानिवृत ले. जनरल डीपी वत्स के माध्यम से तर्को व तथ्यों पर आधारित पेश किया है। इसके अलावा उत्तर प्रदेश की ओर से एक, दिल्ली की तरफ से दो व हरियाणा की ओर से दस जवाब दावे विभिन्न जातियों-वर्गो की खापों ने पेश किए हैं।
आपसी सहमति से सुलझाएं मुद्दे
कुलदीप ढांडा ने कहा कि ऑनर किलिंग में खापों का कोई हाथ नहीं रहा। खापों ने हमेशा आपसी सहमति से मामले निपटाए हैं। उन्होंने उम्मीद जताई है कि सुप्रीम कोर्ट खापों की महत्ता को समझते हुए उन्हें महत्व देगा। इस दौरान खाप प्रतिनिधि केके मिश्रा, टेकराम कंडेला, इंद्रसिंह ढुल, ओमप्रकाश मान, राजबीर ढांडा, कटार सिंह सांगवान, होशियार सिंह दलाल, सुभाष कुंडू, अमरनाथ शर्मा, दलीप चहल, धनपत नंबरदार, राजेश धनाना आदि मौजूद थे।
http://www.bhaskar.com/article/HAR-HIS-khap-representatives-spoke-4185752-NOR.html?C3-HAR=
bharti
February 24th, 2013, 11:35 AM
The Real face of Shakti Vahini, on basis of whose PIL and Research Report, the SC has summoned Khaps
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/case-against-ngo-for-forcing-woman-to-file-false-rape-case/1078735/2
Case against NGO for forcing woman to file false rape case
A city court has asked the Delhi Police to conduct an investigation into the role of a prominent NGO after a "rescued rape victim" told the court that a worker from the NGO had "tutored" her and told her to falsely depose that she had been raped by her employer, a businessman.Additional Sessions Judge Nivedita Anil Sharma on Saturday acquitted the businessman — a Punjabi Bagh resident — of the charge of rape.The court also noted that though the NGO Shakti Vahini had been associated "in over a thousand cases", this case was the first instance in which the NGO had gotten involved to the extent of filing an application for the cancellation of bail of the accused.The businessman had been granted bail to conduct the last rites of his mother, after spending 72 days in jail. The NGO had filed an application seeking the cancellation of bail.The court dismissed the application and noted that the NGO had no locus standi to file a petition regarding the bail of an accused.During arguments, the court found that the woman, who was sent to the Nirmal Chhaya women's home, had written to superintendent of Nirmal Chhaya and that her employer had not raped her.The prosecution said the woman, who hails from Assam, was a minor and was "rescued" by the NGO and police from the Punjabi Bagh home of the businessman in October 2012.It said the woman had told police that she was being forcibly kept at the businessman's home for three years with very little pay.
The prosecution had chargesheeted the businessman for rape and under the anti-human trafficking and anti-bonded labour laws.
The chargesheet also said the woman had given a statement that she had been raped numerous times by businessman, who had also "given her some tablets" after raping her.
However, the woman testified before the court that she had made false allegations after the NGO worker had told her that she would receive a lot of money if she filed a complaint of rape against her employer.
The woman told court that she was over 20 years old and had come to Delhi to find a job, along with a person known to her, with the knowledge of her family.
The court noted that "more than normal interest" was shown by the caseworker, who according to her own testimony, and the woman's statement, had remained with the woman all through the rescue proceedings as well as the medical examination, and had also remained present when police and the magistrate had recorded the statement of the woman.
Sahni's advocate R N Vats told the court that the accused did not have any access to the woman at the shelter home and could not have manipulated or bribed her.
Noting that "instances of apparent nexus between the placement agency, the NGO and police have been noticed, where a poor tribal woman has been used by any or all three to extort money", the court lodged a case of perjury against the woman.