Khaps want ban on same-gotra marriages

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 28

Khap panchayats has sought amendments to the Hindu Marriage Act to ban marriages within the same gotra, same village and villages sharing boundaries.

Members of several khap panchayats yesterday met Governor Kaptan Singh Solanki in this regard and submitted a memorandum to him. “Mutual brotherhood is being disturbed due to marriages within the village or the villages sharing boundaries and in some cases within the same gotra. When khaps object to such marriages, the couples are provided protection under law. We want the Hindu Marriage Act to be amended and a ban should be imposed on such marriages since these lead to unnecessary bitterness among people and disturb our social fabric,” said Tek Chand Kandela, president of Kandela khap, who led the representation of khap leaders.

Kandela said marriages of such kind were historically banned in society as these, he claimed, had social as well as scientific sanction. Same gotra and village marriages have led to many controversies in the past.

Khaps, in some cases, have even passed diktats to annul such marriages.

Among the other demands raised by the khap leaders are implementation of the Swaminanthan report, SYL waters to Haryana as per its share, announcement of a PGI in Jind, immediate payment of the sugarcane supplied by farmers to sugar mills and shifting of rail coach factory to Jind. Khap representatives Dilbag Sheokand, Ram Niwas, Daya Nand, Jai Singh Nain and several others were present.