Chandigarh: With Haryana witnessing a spate of “honour killings”, representatives of khap panchayats (traditional caste-based councils) met Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini Monday to demand amendments in the Hindu Marriage Act to ban marriages of couples who are from the same village or gotra (clan), or from neighbouring villages.
In a memorandum submitted to the CM, the khaps have also called for parental consent for the registration of love marriages, retaining 18 years as the minimum age for marriage of women, and a ban on live-in relationships.
Ashok Chhabra, media coordinator to the Haryana CM, confirmed that the khap leaders had submitted the memorandum and that Saini had promised to get the demands examined legally. ThePrint has accessed a copy of the memorandum.
Ashok Malik, head of Malik Khap, Rajpal Kalkal, head of Kalkal Khap, Jagwant Hooda, spokesperson of Hooda Khap, Phool Singh Petwad, spokesperson of Satrol Khap, Rajpal Kadyan, head of Kadyan Khap, Om Parkash Nanda, head of Nandal Khap, Jaibhagwan Ruhal, head of Ruhal Khap, and Dharampal Dalal of Dalal Khap were among those who met Saini under the banner of Sarva Jatiye Sarva Khap, seeking his intervention in the matter.
“We want the Haryana government to amend the Hindu Marriage Act for the state of Haryana alone because this is a national act and the situation in certain other states may not be similar to that in Haryana,” said Malikwhen contacted by ThePrint after the meeting.
He said the khap leaders had told the CM that three ‘Gs’ — gaon (village), guvandh (neighbouring village) and gotra — are very important to the people of the state, and marriages within these are strictly prohibited.
The Hindu Marriage Act, however, doesn’t recognise such conditions and the prohibited relationships under the law are very limited.
Malik further said the khap leaders had got to know of a proposal to hike the marriageable age of girls from the present 18 years, and they wanted the current age limit retained.
He said that that the spate of killings in the name of family honour in Haryana in the past month suggested an urgent need to amend the Hindu Marriage Act. Otherwise, he asserted, there would be a continued breach of societal norms by young couples and desperate action by their families in a fit of anger.
Khap panchayats in Haryana have been vocal about their opposition to live-in relationships for the past several years and have long been demanding amendments to the Hindu Marriage Act.
Their objections are rooted in traditional and cultural beliefs, which prioritise marriage as a sacred institution and view live-in relationships as morally unacceptable.
They have also been opposing love marriages, particularly those between residents of the same village or neighbouring villages, people belonging to the same gotra or to different castes.
Also Read: Stolen glances to stolen lives: Stories behind the ‘honour killings’ of Rajasthan, Haryana
‘Degradation of societal norms’
The memorandum by Sarva Jatiye Sarva Khap says the family is the first unit of society and it starts with marriage.
“Initially, the institution of marriage was governed by traditions defined by scholars of Hindu religion, religious scriptures and saints. However, after Independence, laws were framed to govern the institution. The Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, that governs marriages applies to the entire country,” it asserts.
It says India is a vast country where people from different ideologies and beliefs live.
“Unfortunately, while framing the Hindu Marriage Act, the traditions and beliefs of our area, particularly north India, have been ignored. This has led to the creeping in of social evils and degradation of societal norms,” it adds.
According to the memorandum, the khap panchayats have been struggling to save the societal structure, and thus, amendments are necessary in the Hindu Marriage Act.
Suspected honour killings
Last month, a newly married couple, Tejveer Singh and Meena, were shot dead in broad daylight in Hansi in Haryana’s Hisar district. They were allegedly shot by motorcycle-borne assailants when they were sitting on a bench in a park. The couple had eloped and got married as the woman’s family was against the union. The police said they belonged to the same caste and were distant cousins. Eleven members of the girl’s family have been booked in connection with the murder.
In another case, on 18 June, a minor allegedly shot dead his elder sister in Kaithal after arriving at her in-laws’ house on the pretext of visiting her. Minutes after the killing, he went live on Instagram, boasted about it and surrendered to the police. According to the Kaithal police, the woman’s family had orchestrated the killing and instructed the minor to carry it out.
The deceased, Komal Rani, from the Gurjar community, had married Anil, who was from the Scheduled Caste (SC) community, four months ago.
(Edited by Nida Fatima Siddiqui)
Also Read: ‘A Gujjar woman with a Dalit?’ Haryana family arrested for murder of daughter gets sympathy