This is one of the stranger aspects of this country, especially in the north. You hear about the caste system (which is illegal but still very active in some parts of the country), honour killings (also illegal but still not unusual in some parts of the country) and tribalism. In a country that is modernising at a rapid pace, how do you reconcile these medieval practices?
Dating back at least 1000 yrs, are community groups called Khap Panchayats which are comprised of elders (mostly or all men) from the villages in a surrounding area. They were somewhat democratic whereby the committee would resolve disputes amicably among parties. When the modern judiciary came into being, the Khap Panchayats lost any legal standing and were actually no longer necessary. However, they did not completely go away and one of the areas that they are still operational is that of marriage. A boy and a girl from the same "gotra" cannot marry since they are considered brother and sister. A gotra is a lineage based on a common male ancestor. Over time, these gotras have become large and people can be very distantly related but still considered in the same gotra. Khap Panchayats try to intervene to prevent same-gotra marriage and this results in the honour killings of either the girl, boy or both.
This should not exist at all in India but politicians have brought them back to life to capitalize on the large voting blocks they provide. I think that the government of India needs to come down hard on these community bodies and enforce their own sovereignity.
Dating back at least 1000 yrs, are community groups called Khap Panchayats which are comprised of elders (mostly or all men) from the villages in a surrounding area. They were somewhat democratic whereby the committee would resolve disputes amicably among parties. When the modern judiciary came into being, the Khap Panchayats lost any legal standing and were actually no longer necessary. However, they did not completely go away and one of the areas that they are still operational is that of marriage. A boy and a girl from the same "gotra" cannot marry since they are considered brother and sister. A gotra is a lineage based on a common male ancestor. Over time, these gotras have become large and people can be very distantly related but still considered in the same gotra. Khap Panchayats try to intervene to prevent same-gotra marriage and this results in the honour killings of either the girl, boy or both.
This should not exist at all in India but politicians have brought them back to life to capitalize on the large voting blocks they provide. I think that the government of India needs to come down hard on these community bodies and enforce their own sovereignity.
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