Punjabis in Haryana seek to curb lavish social gatherings

Deepender Deswal
Hisar, March 21

Perhaps taking a leaf out of the reformative agenda of khap panchayats in rural areas, people of the Punjabi community here have framed a 13-point agenda for reforms in the old customs prevalent in society regarding throwing a feast to the community people on the demise of any person in family.

A meeting in this regard was held at Jai Bharat Mandal Dharamshala in Hansi, presided over by BJP’s local MLA Vinod Bhayana.

However, a dispute cropped up during discussion on one of the agendas on the point whether the MLA should be allowed to speak in a condolence meeting. Following which the community formed a 15-member committee to take a final call on the issue. The reforms are likely to be implemented from April 1.

Satish Kalra, one of the organisers said that the practice of offering a feast (mratyu bhoj) on the demise of any person by the family of the deceased had been prevalent in the Punjabi community for a long time. “This practice has turned into a huge burden for a section of society. Though the well-off families afford and organise extravagant feasts, incurring about Rs 8 lakh to Rs 10 lakh, but the weaker families and middle-class families which too have to organise such events (mratyu bhoj) due to a kind of social pressure even though these families cannot afford such heavy expenses,” he stated, adding that there were several families which had to take debt to organise feasts.

Kalra said such practice was prevalent across Haryana and even in other states among the Punjabi community. “Thus we have taken an initiative to put curbs on this practice which is turning into a social evil and a financial liability on the affected families,” he said.