By IANS,
Chandigarh : In virtually the first-ever action against the arbitrary and illegal decision of a “Khap panchayat” (community council), the administration in Haryana’s Bhiwani district has suspended two village panchayat (council) members, including the sarpanch (headman).
Sarpanch Surender and council member (panch) Ramesh in Samaspur village of Bhiwani, 300 km from here, were placed under suspension under section 51(1)(a) of Haryana Panchayati Raj Act, 1994, for declaring void the marriage of a couple.
The two members have been charged with making a marriage an issue of dispute of “gotras” (lineage) and inciting people against it, violating the directions of the Punjab and Haryana High Court.
Bhiwani Deputy Commissioner Vikas Gupta Monday said that both have also been directed to submit the funds of their panchayat, the records and moveable and immoveable property to the authorities concerned.
They have been directed not to attend any meeting of the Samaspur panchayat.
Gupta said the Bhiwani police submitted a report March 10 that Bhagwan, a resident of village Samaspur, had married Anita of village Makrani on January 11 at the Arya Samaj Mandir in Jaipur.
However, the Samaspur headman and council member announced the marriage void since both the groom and the bride belonged to the same gotra, and also provoked people against this marriage.
The duo then organised the panchayat (council meeting) of “Faugat Gotra” Feb 26 and 27 and March 3 and a unilateral decision was taken to socially boycott the family of Randhir Singh, the father of the groom (Bhagwan).
The council also asked the family to leave the village.
Gupta said that the panchayat’s decision was in violation of the directions of the Punjab and Haryana High Court and could have led to a serious law and order problem.
With the rising number of controversial and illegal decisions being announced by Khap panchayats in Haryana in recent years, especially against young married couples belonging to the same gotra, the state administration has started acting against the extra-constitutional authority being wielded by these ‘khap councils’.
A campaign has been launched in Haryana’s Rohtak district to put an end to such decisions.
The Rohtak district administration has urged the representatives of khap panchayats to desist from pronouncing unilateral and controversial decisions and have been urged to instead work for the welfare of the society.
The administration asked khap members not to pronounce any decision which adversely affected the rights of any particular community or section of the society or any individual.
The district officials cautioned the Khap panchayats that the district administration would not hesitate to take legal action against those panchayats which would take “atrocious and anti-society decisions” in future.
In recent months, Khap panchayat decisions have led to murders after objections were raised, particularly against couples from the same gotra getting married. Affected families have faced social boycotts and turned out of villages after the khaps arbitrarily ruled against them even at the cost of going against the law.