In a welcome softening of the khaps’ rigidly conservative and patriarchal posturing, the Sarv Jatiya Kandela khap of Haryana’s Jind area has taken the lead in doing away with the practice of issuing diktats for the social boycott of persons, families or even political leaders and parties over local issues they deal with. Acting as a pseudo-judicial body holding sway over a collective of 20-30 surrounding villages, a khap has been traditionally resolving disputes by announcing verdicts, which, at times, are at odds with the law. Khap leaders are notorious for inciting honor killings in cases of same-gotra marriages. It has often led to run-ins with law enforcement authorities and drawn reprimands from the judiciary and civil society activists.

But the khaps’ regressive mindset and rules are widely accepted and have hobbled Haryana’s march towards an equitable society. This is evident from the state’s skewed sex ratio and literacy rate. With the latest overall literacy rate being 75 per cent, that of males is 84 per cent and females 66 per cent. Underlining the preference for boys by even educated families and the menace of female feticide are the births of 917 females per 1,000 males recorded in 2022 despite the government’s ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’ programme, which is being implemented since 2015.

In this light, the Kandela khap’s decision to promote girls’ education and hold nukkad meetings against the social evil of female feticide is commendable. Importantly, this initiative of the village elders will also address the hugely unfair gap in the quality of education received by urban and rural students. Coupled with its resolve to curb extravagance at wedding functions — the practice that pauperises many a girl’s parents — Jind is on the path of progress. Other khaps, too, must embrace these norms and shed archaic and outdated customs. When a crusade arises from the grassroots, it has the power to transform society. These winds of change have been blowing for some time now. While progressive campaigns have suffered some setbacks, these should not deter khaps from achieving their new goals.
(Tribune, India)