Khaps intent on having their own laws..
ROHTAK: Emboldened by the silence of politicians and government, khaps have upped the ante. In a mahapanchayat on Sunday, they warned the Centre against any new law curbing their freedom and sought a ban on homosexuality, embryo transplant and surrogate motherhood.
The Sarva Jatia Sarv Khap Mahapanchayat asked the Centre to abort the idea of enacting a new law against honour killings and accept their demands, including amending the Hindu Marriage Act. The meeting also declared a ‘chakka jam’ in Haryana on December 21 if the state government failed to act on their demands.
The mahapanchayat held in Meham town of Rohtak district was attended by hundreds of people, including women, and about 100 representatives of various khaps. It adopted seven resolutions as speaker after speaker pitched in for strict adherence to social customs and traditions in marriages. They also criticized the media, civil society and even judiciary for their views against the khap system.
The khaps for the first time raised four new demands: create a culture ministry and include character building as a subject in schools up to Class X, ban homosexuality, embryo transplant and surrogate motherhood, punish those dealing in pornographic films, ads and literature and give judicial powers to the khap panchayats by awarding status of lok adalats.
The khap leaders arrived from various places in Haryana and Delhi in swanky cars and SUVs and the people from nearby villages were transported by the organizers to make the show impressive. A 21-member committee of elders from different khaps and communities was formed to give a wider representation, which included a woman, Santosh Dahiya, the head of the women’s wing of the Sarv Khap Panchayat spearheading the agitation. Former Haryana CM Hukam Singh and many other politicians attended the ‘mahapanchayat.’
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