GURDASPUR VILLAGE GOES THE KHAP WAY

BATALA On the lines of Haryana khaps, a panchayat in Sri Hargobindpur town of Gurdaspur on Wednesday passed a resolution for social boycott of all families that enter into marital alliance within the village.

At the receiving end are families of Balwinder Singh and Dilbag Singh, who married women of the same village, Dakoha, about 35 kilometres from here, despite objections raised by the brides’ kin and panchayat.

The resolution, a copy of which is available with HT, directs Dakoha residents not to maintain any relations with the two families, and goes on to warn of same punishment to other ‘guilty’ families in future.

Village sarpanch Pritam Singh said in the past couple of years, more than a dozen girls and youths from the village have solemnised weddings with each other, against the wishes of their families. He said the extreme step was taken to check such incidents.

The Dakoha panchayat has also warned of strict action against any youth of the village found having relations with a local girl. “Such boys will be handed over to the police, and will be banned from entering into the village,” states the ‘panchayatnama’ (resolution), which carries signatures of all members of the panchayat. The panchayat has also appealed to the Akal Takh jathedar to order ‘granthis’ not to solemnise weddings of couples from the same village.

Such diktats are commonplace in the neighbouring Haryana, where khap panchayats, a quasi-judicial body of same ‘gotra’ families from several neighbouring villages, are known to pronounce harsh punishments based on age-old customs and traditions. Young couples belonging to same ‘gotra’ mostly fall victim to these judgments, and in many cases seek police protection.