No jeans, mobiles for girls, orders Sonepat panchayat

Sushil Manav

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 18

Ishapur Kheri, a village in Sonepat district with a population of 5,000, has barred girls from using mobile phones and wearing jeans as the villagers fear that it “makes them elope with boys”.

Prem Singh, the sarpanch of the village, had issued this diktat a couple of months ago during a panchayat, but he and other village heads were active now to ensure that the ban was implemented.

He added that when girls used mobile phones, they got in touch with boys and made plans to run away. By wearing jeans, girls attracted unnecessary attention of boys, leading to elopement, he further said.

The sarpanch said proclamation of the diktat had been made throughout the village twice through public address system and he had been meeting villagers now to educate them on these orders.

Dr Reicha Tanwar, professor and former director of the women’s studies research centre, Kurukshetra University, found the diktat shocking.

“When the mindset of society is such that people do not feel guilt in killing daughters, we cannot expect anything better. Law is necessary to improve the condition of women, but civil society has to act responsibly,” she added.

Preeti Bhardwaj, vice-chairperson of the State Women’s Commission, said it was unfortunate that some people had such a mindset.

“It is wrong to say that if a girl wears jeans or keeps a mobile, she will elope. If the social media has adverse effects, it is on both boys and girls,” she said.

Sonepat Deputy Commissioner Vinay Singh expressed ignorance about the matter. He later said the sarpanch had assured him that the diktat was several months old and there was no new action now.