Rajasthan: Four Girls Cremate Their Father As Per His Last Wish, Khap Panchayat Declares Them As "Outcasts"

In an unfortunate incident, a Khap Panchayat of Regar community decided to ostracise a family in Bundi district near Kota, after four women of the family decided to cremate their deceased father. As Times of India reported, their father, Durgashankar Tailor, 58, who succumbed to a prolonged illness on Saturday, wished to be cremated by his four daughters as he had no son.

Following his last wish, the four girls decided to perform their father’s last rites. As per NDTV, the Khap Panchayat, which is a community Panchayat, planned to expel the family from the village, who went against the tradition. “They did not supply us any food either after we returned home from the crematorium ground,” said Meena, one of the four daughters, explaining the custom in which no meal is cooked in the house of a deceased on the day of the death and the family is supplied food by the neighbours. “We are being punished for fulfilling our father’s last wish and being made to feel culprits”, Kalawati, one of the four daughters expressed her grief. “We are being punished for fulfilling our father’s last wish,” she adds.

Also, according to Times of India, after the last rites had been performed, the family was not allowed to bathe in community complex and unlike traditions, they had to bathe in their house after returning from the cremation site. Opposing this, one of the community leaders, Modu Lal, said that the family did not ask for the keys of the community complex. However, the community head, Chandulal Chandeliya, dismissed the allegations and called it ‘rumours’. He said, “Some community people from outside Bundi having the rivalry with us are behind spreading the rumour of outcasting the family.” Instead, the community head, came in support of these four girls and as per Times of India report, he said, “I was away from the city and am not aware of the details. The decision of the four girls is an encouraging step.”

“We sought forgiveness from the community for the act of our four daughters but they remained adamant. Only a few of the community members, who were educated, participated in the funeral,” Tikam Chand, the maternal uncle of the four daughters, told the Mumbai Mirror

This is not the first time, that such incidents have taken place in the area. Only a few days ago, a five-year-old girl was denied entry into her house after she accidentally broke a bird’s egg.

The Logical Indian Take

The menace of Khap Panchayats is nothing new. Time after time, these regressive and outdated institutions take away the fundamental rights which are enshrined in the constitution. Socially enforced customs and traditions give them the strength to do as they please while innocent people are made to suffer.

Also Read: #BreakingTheStereotype: Woman Gives Shoulder To Cop Husband’s Body, Daughter Lights The Pyre

Also published on Medium.