Khaps’ progressive move

THE Haryana khap panchayats have always been accused of pursuing a patriarchal regressive agenda. Now, some khaps of Jind, Bhiwani and Hisar seem to have shed their traditional approach to social customs as they realise that their old diktats have been a hurdle in the advancement of the people. Their resolve to not only campaign for the enrolment of all children in government schools but also seek better educational facilities is bound to lay the foundation of a progressive state. Since the campaign aims to tackle problems at the village level, the fight to overcome long-standing issues like those pertaining to inadequate or absent teaching staff is likely to bear better results. If this problem is tackled, the rising trend of preference for costly and dubious private schools may be reversed. Incidentally, the need to spruce up government schools has been acutely felt in the past couple of years. Many parents are today unable to afford the private schools after the economic blow of the Covid-induced lockdowns and job losses.

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Equally importantly, this rising of the village elders is designed to address the hugely unfair gap in the quality of education received between urban and rural students and their subsequent career placements. On their agenda is a push for enabling the children in computer literacy as well as introducing them to the emerging ecosystem of startups, research, security systems, data and digital curriculum. Earlier, the khaps have commendably worked towards changing the backward mindset regarding health and ugly gender biases like female foeticide and child marriage.

This melting of the deeply entrenched norms is significant, for it paves the way for a more widespread acceptance. Other khaps must also sit up and take note. The transformation of the state towards an educated and developed society rests on each one of these influential grassroots-level organisations taking up this crusade. Their combined force is needed to stir the moribund government system out of its inertia and fast-track the efforts towards improving the state of its schools and the quality of education imparted.