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Ban same-gotra marriages to curb honour killings: Khaps
Bijendra Ahlawat/TNS

Rohtak, September 22
Heads and representatives of various khap panchayats of Haryana have asked the Centre to bring an immediate amendment to sections of the Hindu Marriage Act to curb honour killing in and around the state.

The demand came up at a special meeting of the Sarva Khap Mahapanchayat held here today in the backdrop of the recent honour killing of a runaway couple at Garnawathi village, 8 km from here.

Dharmender and Nidhi were allegedly killed by the girl's parents and relatives on September 18 after they decided to tie the knot against the wishes of their families. Both had the same gotra and were from the same village. As per the diktat of khap panchayats, marriages within the same village and community are not allowed.

The meeting -- presided over by Dada Baljit Singh Malik, president of the Malik- Gathwala Khap -- was attended by representatives of various khaps, including Dhankhar Khap, Jhakhar Khap, Hooda Khap, Kadian Khap, Dahiya Khap and the Rohrai-Panchgama khap. The meeting, which resolved to express concern and grief over the Garnawathi killings, adopted three resolutions to curb such incidents in rural areas of the state.

It asked the government to bring in an amendment to the Hindu Marriage Act to restrain couples (boys and girls) from the same gotra and the same village from entering into wedlock. The panchayat said the government must make the amendment so that the gotra of the mother and father is avoided at the time of marriage, as this was a social and acceptable norm in the rural and urban society of Jats and most other castes and sub-castes in Haryana and neighbouring states, including Rajasthan, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh.

“As soon as the change is promulgated, couples would themselves refrain from such (same gotra, same village) alliances and this would curb honour killings, which have become a blot on society,” said Jasbir Singh Malik, convenor of the mahapanchayat.

Stating that two other resolutions were also adopted, he said khaps have asked the government to reintroduce the subject of moral education at the school and college level and take steps to curb pornography on mobile phones used by the youths.

Three-step action plan

• Amend sections of the Hindu Marriage Act to restrain couples from same gotra and the same village from entering into wedlock
• Reintroduce subject of moral education at the school and college level
• Take appropriate measures to curb pornography on mobile phones

Ban on wearing jeans

Terming the wearing of jeans by school/college going girls as ‘root cause’ of rising incidents of eve teasing, a khap panchayat of 12 villages has banned wearing of jeans by students. The panchayat has also slapped a blanket ban on playing DJ sound system in the villages