In a bid to do away with the caste system, the Kheda Khap of Jind district in Haryana has decided not to use their caste as their surnames, reported The Times of India.The announcement was made following a meeting of the khap that was held in Bhushla village on Saturday (29 June 2019).
What did the members of the committee say?
“For some years now, caste has been inflaming hatred and the society seems divided,” said Satbir Pahalwan, the head of Kheda khap and a resident of Barsola village. “Therefore, we have decided that no one from these 24 villages would use caste as a surname. If people want, they could use their village name instead of caste,” he added.
Pahalwan was of the opinion that when people use their caste as the surname, they tend to be judged by society even before they are given a chance to prove themselves. With this decision, Kheda khap hopes to amend the social conditions by its decision.
He also briefed on the changes that have already been made in order to improve the social conditions
“Our khap has already banned food served after death and decided to skip grandmother’s gotra [clan], as men are finding it difficult to get married. We also reduced days of grief after death from 13 to 7 and banned DJs at weddings,” said Pahalwan.
Udayveer Barsola, a member of the Khera khap said, “A committee would be made to take this measure further to the people of the villages, making sure the system is completely eradicated.”
The Kheda Khap is also unique in the way that it doesn’t condemn inter-caste marriages and sees that there is no injustice to those who marry outside of their caste.
What are Khap Panchayats?
A Union of few villages, mainly they are an integral part of the northern rural community, though it exists similarly in other parts of the country as well. They are self instituted councils that govern clans and have a substantial social power to make critical decisions.
Kheda Khap consists of a total of Uchana town in Haryana including major villages such as Nagura, Badoda, Badhana, Karsindhu, Barsola and Mohan Garh Chapra.
Also Read: Khap Panchayats Can’t Question Adult’s Choice Of Marriage: SC
