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Haryana khaps bat for gender equality, say girls can wear jeans
Parvesh Sharma
Tribune News Service

Jind, August 10
Haryana khaps have refused to support a diktat by a khap of Muzaffarnagar (Uttar Pradesh) that banned the use of mobile phones and wearing of jeans by unmarried girls. Girls have equal rights as boys, Haryana khaps have said.

The development is significant as a diktat by a khap usually gets support of all other khaps in the country, even if it happens to be a bizarre one. Haryana khap leaders have also countered the contention that western culture has fuelled crime against women. Cases of crime against women are being reported even from backward areas, they say.

On Friday, a khap of Gujjar community in Jadwad village passed a diktat banning the wearing of jeans and use of mobile phones by unmarried girls. Khap members said the use of these things by unmarried girls was fuelling crime against women.

Haryana khap leaders said banning mobile phones and jeans in schools could be supported as their use sometimes created problems in backward areas, but a permanent ban on both these things was not possible.

“Girls have equal rights like boys and no one has any legal authority to deny them any facility. We understand that the use of mobile phones cannot be allowed in schools and colleges, but it does not mean that all girls cannot use mobile phones,” said Tek Ram Kandela, president of the Kandela Khap and national convener of the Sarv Khap Panchayat, Haryana.

Kandela said girls should be provided better education and facilities, if the Haryana Government wanted the state to prosper. Some other khap leaders said wearing jeans and use of mobile phones by girls sometimes created problems in rural areas. But banning these things outrightly would create only a negative image of khaps across the country, despite the fact that these were formed for the welfare of society. “Schools and colleges must ban the use of mobile phones for both girls and boys. The number of cases of crime against women will not come down by banning jeans and mobile phones,” said Sube Singh Sumain, spokesman of the Sarv Khap Panchayat.

Refuse to toe UP khap’s diktat

A khap in Muzaffarnagar (UP) recently passed a diktat banning the wearing of jeans and use of mobile phones by unmarried girls

Haryana khaps have said that any such a ban is not justified as the girls have equal rights as boys

In fact, the girls should be provided better education and other facilities, if the Haryana Government wants the state to prosper, they say.

‘Can’t deny equality to girls’

Girls have equal rights like boys and no one has any legal authority to deny them any facility. We understand that the use of mobile phones cannot be allowed in schools and colleges, but it does not mean that all girls cannot use mobile phones.

Tek Ram Kandela, Kandela khap president

‘Ban mobiles for all in schools’

Schools and colleges must ban the use of mobile phones for both girls and boys. The problem of crime against women can only be tackled by providing better education and self-defence training to our daughters.

Sube Singh Sumain, Sarv Khap Panchayat spokesman