Jakholi (Kaithal), October 30
The interference of outsiders and the lack of interest shown by the administration and the village panchayat concerned are getting in the way of a compromise between the people of two Jat sub-castes, Lohan and Kadiyan, who have been at loggerheads for the past one week following social boycott of the minority Lohans by the majority Kadiyans.
Members of the Lohan community of Jakholi village, situated on the Kaithal-Jind road, had objected to the engagement of a resident of the same village, Satyajit Kadiyan, son of Dr Randhir Kadiyan, with Pinki, a daughter of Mr Partap Singh, a resident of Ramra Bhain (Jind) village, belonging to the Lohan subcaste.
The Lohans also took the matter to the gotra khap panchayat of Lohans to exert pressure on the parents of the girl to break the relationship as a few Lohan families were living in Jakholi village. The Lohans referred to a decision of their gotra khap panchayat that was held in the 1960s.
The social boycott of Lohans by the Kadiyans had limited effect as Maliks, another caste in the village, were maintaining relations with the Lohans as usual. “There is no problem between us and the Maliks”, said Shamsher, a son of Nichman, a registered medical professional of the Lohan caste.
He said the Lohans by and large were not in favour of objecting to the engagement, but since the matter had gone to their khap panchayat, it was now up to the khap to take the final decision.
On the other hand, Mani Ram, grandfather of Satyajit, said they had been forced to take the decision of social boycott to make them (the Lohans) realise that the age-old traditions of gotra khap panchayats were no longer justified. He said the Lohans had no objection to the engagement, but on the interference of outsiders (Lohans of other villages) they had come under pressure.
He said the social boycott was not on the behalf of the Kadiyans only, but also other castes to make the Lohans realise that they should not have backed down from their earlier decision.
“The Lohans are our Jat brothers and we want them to understand the changes that are coming in society. Otherwise, it will be difficult for us to marry our daughters and sons,” he said.
Satyajit, the boy who was engaged, while talking to
The Tribune, said he was engaged to Pinki in January this year. There was no issue all these months, till the Lohans of the village were misguided by residents of Aleva village, near Rajaund, he alleged. He said he would definitely marry the girl to break the age-old caste system.
