Village panchayat boycotts families of eloped couple
SOCIAL TABOO Village norms prohibit marriage between man and woman of same village BHARATPUR:
Members of a village panchayat in Bharatpur district have passed a diktat of social boycott of the family of a woman, who eloped with a man from the same village and married him.
According to the panchayat norms, marriage between man and woman of the same village is strictly forbidden, as it is considered to be a wedlock between brothers and sisters.
The panchayat in Lulahara village has called for social ostracisation of the woman’s family, forbidding them from attending any social programmes or keeping social ties with anyone in the village.
20-year-old Chotto Devi, resident of Lulahara village eloped with her neighbour Sandeep Jatav to Panipat in Haryana on April 4 and got married on April 15 Panchkula court. She was pursuing ANM final year from a college in Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh while Jatav works as a labourer in Panipat.
Opposed by the girl’s family and when the boy’s family fixed up his marriage with some other girl, the couple decided to elope.
After the couple eloped, members of four villages gathered on Tuesday and announced to boycott the girl’s family.
Bhalle Jatav, the girl’s father, registered a complaint at Nabdai police station on Friday against 19 panchayat members. He alleged to have been insulted in the panchayat. He also said that his daughter is an adult and married on her own free will.
Sandeep Jatav’s father, Rajesh Kumar, said a similar panchayat was held about 10-12 days back where the panchayat members meted out a similar treatment and declared to socially boycott their family.
Assistant sub inspector and investigative officer of Nadbai police Mahesh Singh said that all panchayat members have been asked not to harass the family members of the couple.
Chotto Devi said, “We are above 18 years and the Supreme Court gives us the right to marry the man of our choice. I have completed ANM and will start scouting for a job in some hospital.”