KHAP PANCHAYATS AND ‘HONOUR KILLINGS’- A BANE OF INDIA

ARTICLE

Bhupinder Singh Hooda, former Chief Minister of Haryana was alleged to be a prominent advocate of Khap Panchayat which claimed hundreds of innocent lives, both young men and ladies, who fell in love and fled their native land to escape a certain death by the hands of their close relatives or the members of Khap Panchayats. This kind of blood-chilling killings are named ‘honour killings’. Khap Panchayats and ‘honour killings’ are prevalent in Northern States, the epic centre which is supposed to be Haryana. The gentleman Mr.Bhupinder Singh Hooda who belongs to Indian National Congress strongly supported Khap Panchayats with a view to canvass votes thereby capturing power in the State. In the last Assembly elections however his party had to bite the dust at the hands of National Democratic Alliance (NDA) led by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

If a girl belonging to a rich family falls in love with a poor boy and run away to a distant place and get married and settle somewhere as man and wife, the heads of Khap  Panchayats or the parents or siblings of the boy and girl get angry and are on a chase to fish them out at last succeeding in their search. They plead the boy and girl to return to their native place promising them to marry them off infront of a holy place at an auspicious time and the vulnerable boy and girl go with them to their land and are brought before the Heads of Khap Panchayat. After a namesake trial they sentence both to death and kill them either by hanging in a public place or beheading them that too before the larger public or stoning them to death before the very eyes of a big crowd with an intention to sow the seeds of terror.

Despite the media or human rights organizations give vent to their anger, anguish and protest the so-called Khap Panchayats – kind of primitive organization – go on with their cruel deeds and hundreds of youth – both ladies and young men are done to death ruthlessly.

The other day there was a report from Musafarpur, Uttar Pradesh, a girl from a rich background being stoned to death by the father and her brother for fleeing her house with her lover who is from a poor family and caught red-handed. The girl was done to death by throwing bricks in the name of ‘honour killing’.

As a citizen of India I would appeal to our Prime Minister Mr.Narendra Modi to ban the Khap Panchayats which is tantamount to a primitive institution and let those young men and ladies fall in love and get married. Mr.Modi should ensure that at least spare sometime to look after the well-being of those at the bottom ladder of society like he caters to the industrial development and Foreign Direct Investment. By leaving the poor in the lurch and concentrating all energies for the welfare of the ‘big fish’ our nation has no chance to prosper. And it is certain that National Democratic Alliance will have to tread the path of United Progressive Alliance (UPA) under Dr.ManMohan Singh.