Originally Posted by
ravichaudhary
Jitender Hooda Sahib has given some very insightful explanations. I agree with him.
Some more thoughts:
1) Is there a way to ensure that the Khap passes unbiased decisions?
Response: No there is no way to know that the decision is not biased. That also happened with any judicial system. It is well known how corrupt the Indian Judicial system is, and judges are bought with money in routine.
Since it is direct democracy, the Khap Panchayat cannot get away with a biased decision, they have live with the rest, day in and day out.
2) How is it proved that decision taken is right?
Response: as usual time tells
3) Any way to enforce the implementation of the decision?
Response; Enforcement was by consensus. A person living in the ‘same;’ had to follow the rules and norms of the Samaj- society. Fines were levied, Ostracization was one extreme punishment.
4) Any way to challenge the decision? Who does one go to if the decision is not acceptable?
Yes, one could go to the higher Khap, or to the Sarv Khap which acted as the Supreme Court,
5) How many women are currently represented/ involved in Khap Panchayat?
Difficult question.
If you are talking about women’s empowerment, historically we have evidence that women also participated in the Panchayat, as for example when the Khap Panchayat was meeting and debating responses to the Khiljis, or the Mughals or to Timur.
On a day to day basis I cannot say.
The Jats have been a patriarchal society historically, and I suspect that the Panchayat did not in routine give women a vote. Were they heard – I would say yes.
The saying was “I speak at home; you speak for me at the Panchayat.”
Does this need to change ?- obviously. Women should have full participation.
Let us also keep in mind, that women is England received voting rights only in 1928. In contrast Jat women were part of the Panchayat meetings in 1398. some five hundred years earlier.
The position of the lady was probably the best in Jat society, whether it was re marriage, rights in the family etc, she held a position of honor.
If some one wishes, we can discuss this; I will post a paper on the History section.
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6) Can anybody give a recent achievement of Khap Panchayat, besides the honor killings?
There is NO, repeat NO, honor in killing.
Jats are not violent by nature. They are conservative, may be quick to anger, but their culture does not lead them to casual and easy violence.
When a loved one gets killed, it creates a vacuum in the family, an emptiness that is impossible to replace.
Again we can discuss this on a separate thread, but I suspect these killing were more ‘crimes of passion,’ and ‘temporary insanity’, than cold blooded killings for gain.
I cannot see the Panchayats issuing such an order to kill .
I can see individuals, going out of their minds, and taking acts that they later regret.
Jats have a culture of tolerance for all, and are very civilized by nature as their history shows.
As to major decisions they have taken recently.
Their political and judicial power was crushed in 1857. It is only in that 25 years or so, that there has been a ground swell ,and the common village people are reviving these bodies , as they can get no satisfaction of from the Judicial- police- political nexus.
Their movements have improved the rights of rural people , through a constant ongoing interaction with administration and politicians
Other view are welcome
Ravi Chaudhary