Haryana government sets in motion demand of khaps for amendment in Hindu Marriage Act

Deepender Deswal

Hisar, August 13

The state government has set in motion the process on the demand of khap panchayats for amendment in the Hindu Marriage Act (HMA) on the issue of intra-gotra and intra-village marriages and registration of live-in relationships.

Sharing this information with The Tribune today, Dharam Pal Kandela of the Kandela khap has welcomed the state government’s initiative.

Taking action on the demands submitted by the Bharat Bhoomi Bachao Sangharsh Samiti president Ramesh Dalal and Sarvjatia Kandela Khap Pradhan Dharam Pal Kandela, the Additional Chief Secretary, Home Department, referred the matter to the Principal Secretary, Citizen Resources Information Department (CRID), for further action.

Kandela said “same-gotra and same-village marriages’ were in conflict with the social norms in society and, thus, they had submitted a representation to the state government for bringing amendment as per the demands of the khap panchayats.

“The intra-gotra and intra-village marriages amount to social stigma, which result in constant humiliation and mental torture of the parents whose boy/girl solemnise such marital ties which are in violation of social norms. It is necessary to bring amendments in the HMA to accommodate the conditions in accordance with the social norms for maintaining the social fabric and a happy family life,” said Kandela.

The Bharat Bhoomi Bachao Sangharsh Samiti president Ramesh Dalal had also submitted a representation to the state government last month on the same demand of declaring inter-gotra and intra-village, besides the marriages in the villages which share borders, as invalid.

Ramesh Dalal said he was assured by top officials of the government that the matter had been assigned to a senior official who was likely to submit the final report to the Chief Minister.

“Thereafter, the CM will take the final decision on the demand. In principle, the government was in agreement with me on the proposal for amendment in the HMA,” he claimed.

‘Marriages in conflict with social norms’

• Several khap panchayats of Haryana have been raising the demand for amendment in the Hindu Marriage Act for long
• They demand ban on the marriages on three main points, citing prevalent social norms
• They say marriages between couples who belong to the same gotra, same village or villages which share geographical borders should be declared invalid
• Khaps argue that people of intra-gotra and intra-village and also those sharing borders are deemed as ‘bhaichara’ and youths in three conditions cannot be in a relationship of husband and wife