Saturday, April 23, 2011
Khap Panchayats: Need to Review their Role in Society
Mainstream, Vol XLVIII, No 30, July 17, 2010
Khap Panchayats: Need to Review their Role in Society
The issue of same-gotra marriages is regularly in the news these days. Hardly a day passes without a news item about the developments surrounding this issue. Statements from the Gotra Khap Panchayats and Sarv Khap Panchayat spearheading the movement for a change in the Hindu Marriage Act 1955, as also the reactions of the political parties and individual politicians of the State of Haryana have been almost a daily occurrence in the recent past. Sometime back the Arya Pratinidhi Sabha, Haryana and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad too came out openly in support of the stand being taken by these Panchayats. The issue must be addressed, of course, but there is an urgent need to look at it from an objective point of view, also taking into account the historical background, without any ideological or sentimental blinkers.
To begin with, a distinction needs to be made between the Gotra Khap Panchayats and Sarv Khap Panchayats. A Gotra Khap Panchayat is comprised of representatives of a particular gotra (in broad terms, a sub-division of a caste group—for instance, the Dahiya gotra or Khap within the larger category of Jats) spread over a widespread geographical area. A Sarv Khap Panchayat is a broader category, for it would comprise representatives of all gotras within the larger caste group.
The Sarv-Khap (or all-Khap) Panchayats (Councils) have admittedly had a positive role to play in the times gone by. The individual Khaps would elect (nominate) leaders who would send delegates to represent the Khaps at the Sarv-Khap level. This socio-political organisation represented all the Khaps and all the people, irrespective of caste and creed, in its area of influence. In this sense one can say that these Councils had an all-inclusive character, though in a limited sense even it is difficult to say that they had a democratic ethos of their own. These Khap Panchayats are also said to have played a meaningful role in various socio-cultural issues in the historical past—but this is an issue best left to the historians to dwell upon in greater detail. It is significant that these Panchayats probably go far back into history. That, however, is not as important as the nature of issues on which they were, and have been, active. [Reference: Wikipedia—The free Encyclopedia] In terms of authenticity, historians can better examine these claims.
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OUR concern, however, is the present, and any contemporary evaluation of these Panchayats has to take into account their interventions on socio-cultural issues in modern times, as also the fact that we are now living not in feudal times but in the period of a democratic polity. I have not had the opportunity of access to any written documents (if available) but have heard of three major gatherings in modern times that can be said to have had wider socio-cultural significance of a positive nature. I have heard of a Panchayat (exact banner not to my knowledge) in village Barona in district Rohtak in 1911 on the issue of education in the area now known as Haryana—an effort that led to the establishment, over a period of time, of the Jat educational institutions in Rohtak. There was, then, a gathering in the sixties of the twentieth century in village Sisana regarding over-the-top expenditures, size of baraats and number of days spent on celebrations in marriages. And then a people’s revolt in Pipli near Kharkhauda (Sonipat) against atrocities related to forced family-planning during the Emergency. Apart from these three major gatherings revolving round issues of great social significance, I have not heard of any other such gatherings that have taken up issues of such scale and significance in the modern times. (It needs to be added that I really can’t say for sure if all of these were Sarv Khap, or Gotra Panchayats or gatherings on an occasion in an adhoc manner.) This, though, can be said—that in the past, these had been bodies of a very adhoc nature. Even now these do not have a well-oiled organisation—rather, they still retain their broadly ad hoc nature. When the all-inclusive nature got reduced to Gotra Panchayats is beyond my exploration.
If we take a view of the last 20 years or so, the issue that overwhelmingly dominates the Gotra Panchayats is that of gotra marriages, and the role of these Panchayats has not really measured up to the demands of the age in which we live. Examples abound with controversies that have become one with the names of the villages involved: Jaundhi, Assandha, Nayabas, Ladawas, Badhra, Dharana, Singhwal—the list can be extended. In all these cases the brunt of the ire has been borne by the couples involved who, while exercising their choice of a life-partner, apparently went against the ‘age-old customs and traditions’ at whose altar these Gotra Panchayats pay their obeisance. The ouster of 21-year-old Karambir and 19-year-old Pooja from village Sundana (around 15 kilometres from Jhajjar) just because they belonged to neighbouring villages; the murder of Vikas of Panipat; the ordeal that Kavita had to go through are just some of these instances. Things came to such a pass that there were threats of social boycott of the parties involved, families were forced out of villages, and married couples were given diktats to treat each other as brother and sister (in one case even after they had had a child!). There have also been honour-killings on which these Panchayats kept silent at the time of their occurrence.. Those active in these Gotra Panchayats extol the dignified and valorous role of their ancestors in Sarv Khap Panchayats in the times gone by. One wonders how they have stooped to the level of endorsing these acts of violent retaliation, both physical and mental, that go against the very grain of a humane existence for which those ancestors of ours are said to have struggled. No wonder, these acts have been widely criticised and looked down upon by all sane members of civil society, for they reek of an authoritarian streak not in consonance with the democratic ethos.
Let us examine the issue a bit closely. Customs and traditions, the necessity to maintain them so that the fabric of society sustains, is one of the major arguments brought forth by those supporting these Khap Panchayats—as if customs and traditions and society are something uninfluenced by the passage of changing times, irrevocable, unchangeable, cast in stone. This is a specious argument that is not likely to stand the test of reason. One can point to customs and traditions that have undergone change—at times drastic change, change that at first sight must have looked earth-shaking—and yet life moves on as before, society re-shapes and re-invigorates itself, sustains itself in ever new ways; the design may have changed but the fabric sustains. Just to take a few examples—there has been, in Haryana, and in Panjab too, the tradition of “latta udhaana” (a widow being given in marriage to her husband’s brother). Now we hear of this being done but rarely. Tradition dictates a thirteen-day mourning on the death of someone—at places this has come down to four days, and yet this does not mean the sadness is any the less than before. In times immemorial, marriage within the tribe was the custom—this is still so at many places but at others it has changed too. There are now also instances of the bride being brought to her in-laws’ immediately after ‘chunni udhaai’, thereby foregoing the traditional custom of taking seven rounds of the ‘holy fire’.
These instances might seem to be ‘trivial’ to some. But there are more substantial examples—examples that come closer to the crux of the issue at stake. Among the Jats, earlier, the tradition was to avoid seven gotras for marriage. Over a period of time this number came down to four—of the father, mother, maternal grandmother, and the paternal grandmother. Now, at places, even the gotra of the maternal grandmother is not left out when considering a proposal for marriage. And many—probably most—of us have accepted this. The same is the case with what are known as bhaichara gotras [the social restriction on marrying into any of the gotras which have bhaichara (brotherhood) with each other—Ohlan, Tehlan and Ahlawat bhaichara]. Exigencies of time, place and circumstance have brought about these changes in customs and traditions. The socio-cultural transformation that the processes of industrialisation, urbanisation, increased mobility of people, break-up of the joint family system have brought about, is the real cause of these changes. The wheel of historical change re-shapes and re-moulds life.
Customs and traditions are thus not to be treated as being a given, ever-constant category that brook no change. An insistence on not to change a tradition or a custom just because it has been there for the last countless years is not a cogent argument. Neither is this a convincing argument that a tradition should remain as it is because a change can disturb the tranquil waters of society. Let us not forget that society is a living organism, and has the strength and capacity to find a new, healthy balance.
Community and the Individual—How these Khaps React
AT the centre of these developments is another important issue—the democratic right of an individual to choose his or her life-partner. Honour-killing in the name of tradition is a heinous crime in this age of the liberal-democratic ethos. It is sad but true that the Khap Panchayats have been supportive of these killings—they have been forced to change their stand and criticise such acts only belatedly under the pressure of civil society. The patriarchal-feudal mindset wishes that it be followed in unswerving obedience – its writ has to run. No voice of dissent is to be allowed – custom and tradition is the shield for defence, it is the cloak that conceals the real mindset. The new wave of young blood, gradually becoming aware of its individual space, influenced as it is by the winds of change brought about by the democratic ethos and liberalisation, is learning to take its own decisions. The right to vote at 18—why not the right to choose your own partner at the legally prescribed age? And there lies the story of two mindsets pitted against each other in the backdrop of a society struggling to emerge from its earlier avatar. The individual’s right at a legally prescribed age should be respected.
This assertion of a legal right has been taken to mean that the youth today has gone out of bounds, that it is unbridled in its choices and acts. This, however, is not the whole truth. There is another side to it too. When the occasion arises, today’s youth does act with responsibility and dignity. For instance, with the advent of the age of liberalisation in the early 1990s, doubts were sometimes expressed as to how patriotic the youth of today is. Kargil, however, proved beyond doubt that the outer trappings of the individualistic liberal ethos have not had any negative effect on our youth in this regard. In a similar vein, by and large, the youth of the Jat heartland, the area in which issues revolving round gotra-marriages have been recurring over the last few years, are cognisant that the custom of marriage within the gotra does not enjoy socio-cultural acceptance, and I am pretty sure that they would not like to cross into forbidden territory. Exceptions, though, will always be there, and they should be treated as such.
For a society to move ahead, a certain degree of elasticity is required on matters that do call for reasonable mutual adjustment in tune with the times. In sharp contrast to the hardened stance taken by the Khap Panchayats within Haryana, within the Jat community we have examples of flexibility too in the context of customs and traditions related to marriage. And we need to learn from them rather than castigate them. This flexibility is to be seen, for instance, in the context of the contentious issue of the Kheda Gotra (that is, the majority gotra in, say, a village ‘A’). Along with the Kheda Gotra (majority gotra) there may be many other gotras in the same village. A boy of Kheda Gotra can marry a girl from another village belonging to other gotras of village ‘A’. But a boy from other gotras of village ‘A’ cannot marry a girl from another village belonging to Kheda Gotra of village ‘A’. There are, however, villages in Haryana where this taboo has been done away with. One such instance is that of village Samchana with more than 15 gotras. Girls from other villages, from any of these gotras, are allowed marriage in Samchana amongst gotras other than their own. Another such example is that of village Guga Heri in which a lot of Dalal families are there. From Mandothi (a Dalal village) many girls are married in Guga Heri in families of other gotras. Given these examples, the question raised in a news item on village Dharana a few years back—‘Shilpa, should we call you Bahu or Beti?’—looks a non-issue. This also raises the question—if it is acceptable in these villages for a girl from outside to marry someone from a gotra other than her own, why can’t a girl from the village itself marry someone within the village belonging to a gotra other than her own? Why can’t something that is already happening in cities also be allowed in villages? In fact, it is already happening in some villages too. In the village Chautala, to marry within the village is not considered taboo, as is the case in other parts of Haryana. About 200 couples have reportedly married within this village over a period of time. (See The Times of India dated April 27, 2010—the report ‘Chautala defies Khap, allows marriage in same village’) This is just one of such villages in Sirsa, Hisar and Fatehabad districts of Haryana. Notably enough, Late Ch. Devi Lal, the ex-Deputy Prime Minister of India, belonged to this village. It is quite obvious that these villages have adopted a flexible approach in such matters—and they have been none the worse for it.
It would appear from the posturing and arguments put forth by those active in the present-day Khap Panchayats as if what they say is an incontrovertible truth with no—or very few—exceptions. The examples quoted above, however, force us to pause and ponder a bit: the customs and traditions that are the custom and traditions for these Panchayats are not really being followed across the board by all. (There is also a possibility that the number of instances that I have given above might well increase if a serious research is undertaken to unravel the reality.) Given this fact, the demand for a change in the Hindu Marriage Act of 1955 on this basis gives a strong impression that these forces are arrogating to themselves the power to decide for all—even for those who follow different customs and traditions. And let us not forget that when we speak of Haryana, it is not just the Jats that constitute it—there are other communities too whose customs and traditions may well be at variance with those being cited by these Khap Panchayats. What would their fate be if the demand for change in certain sections of the Act is met?
Khap Panchyats, Gotra Marriage and Genetics
APART from the issue of marriage within village and amongst the bhaichara gotras, the second major issue—that of marriage within the gotra—is usually brought up not just as a part of the larger argument on customs and traditions but also in the context of aspects related to genetics. One does, though, get the feeling that this is brought in to act like a fig leaf so as to cover up the weakness of the larger argument. Marriage within the same gotra, it is said, would lead to problems related to health on account of issues related to genetics. Though not an expert on genetics, I can say with a certain level of confidence that I have not come across any study of same-gotra marriages in Haryana, based upon which anything can be said either way. I am not at all saying that same-gotra marriages should be encouraged but I do believe that the scientific view be taken into account on the basis of the information we have on studies of first-cousin marriages the world over. Surprisingly enough, the United States of America is not enamoured of first-cousin marriages—to the best of my knowledge, only 19 states of the USA allow first cousin marriages. But the countries in Europe allow such marriages not just as a custom or tradition but also in terms of law. Martin Ottenheimer, Emeritus Professor of Anthropology, Kansas State University (USA) wrote a significant book in 1996—Forbidden Relatives:The American Myth of Cousin Marriages—based on his research on cousin marriages. According to him, ‘physical evidence from modern human biological research does not substantiate the exaggerated fears about the possible genetic dangers of cousin marriages”, and the “American myth of cousin marriages appears to be a modern rationalisation of an ancient custom rather than a conclusion derived from empirical biological research or genetic theory”. He further states that “if cousin marriage really posed a health threat, one would expect all Western countries would recognise the potential hazards and prohibit it” but an “examination of marital laws outside the United States however reveals that cousin marriage is permitted in every country in Europe”. Forty three per cent of the world’s societies permit marriages between some types of first cousins. Most significantly, “in the United States, no state ever forbade third or more distant cousins from marrying….Marriage between second or more distant cousins is permitted everywhere in the United States.”
This research of Martin Ottenheimer reached the conclusion that children of non-related couples have a two-to-three per cent risk of birth defects, as opposed to first cousins having a four-to-six per cent risk. In plain terms first cousins have a 94 per cent + chance of having healthy children. Let me also register here two more research-based revelations: the National Society of Genetic Counsellors in the USA estimated the increased risk for first cousins to be between 1.7 to 2.8 per cent, or about the same as any woman over 40 years of age. Second cousins have little, if any, increased chance of having children with birth defects, as per the “Clinical Genetics Handbook”, courtesy the March of Dimes Foundation that has been working on prevention of birth defects in the United States since 1939.
Hindu Marriage Act 1955 and Gotra Marriages
WE should keep in mind that these are facts for first-cousin marriages, which in any case are prohibited under the Hindu Marriage Act 1955 as per its Section 3 (g) (iv)—“children of brother and sister or of two brothers or of two sisters” come within the purview of “degrees of prohibited relationship”.
Let us now come to the Hindu Marriage Act of 1955, according to which the couple being married should not be “sapindas of each other, unless the custom or usage governing each of them permits a marriage between the two”, where “two persons are said to be ‘sapindas’ of each other if one is a lineal ascendant of the other within the limits of sapinda relationship, or if they have a common lineal ascendant who is within the limits of sapinda relationship with reference to each other”. Further, the “‘sapinda relationship’ with reference to any person extends as far as the third generation (inclusive) in the line of ascent through the mother, and the fifth (inclusive) in the line of ascent through the father, the line being traced upwards in each case from the person concerned, who is to be counted as the first generation”. (Italics mine—R.S.D.)
Given the prescriptions in the Act, and the data for first-cousin marriages given above, it is quite obvious that in our case (that is, marriage within the gotra and in consonance with the Hindu Marriage Act 1955), the genetic risk is most likely to be even less than that for first-cousins. In any case, the genetic aspects of this issue do need to be examined and researched in our specific context—all that I am saying is that the facts available with me point to no cause for great alarm in genetic terms.
I would like to conclude on a note of caution in the larger socio-political context. One, there are much larger social issues crying for our attention, on which the Khap Panchayats can play a positive role—and on which, till now, they have maintained a resounding silence. Domestic violence against women, the scourge of female foeticide, dowry-deaths, the menace of drinking and drug-addiction, the crisis in agriculture, forced occupation of common lands (the shaamlaat in villages)—these, and many more, are issues with which we need to grapple on an urgent basis, for they strike at the very roots of a harmonious society. These Panchayats, however, seem to have turned a blind eye to them—is it that they find it more convenient to overlook such issues because the perpetrators of these social crimes are an inseparable part of these Panchayats? One needs to ponder over this.
More importantly, the saddest part of the story is that the political class of Haryana, barring a very few exceptions, seems to be more concerned about its vote-banks rather than the larger social good. Instead of taking a leading role in countering the forces that are taking a stand detrimental to the interests of an egalitarian and progressive society, the political actors seem to be playing second fiddle to them. One can only hope in these circumstances that a balanced view will be taken, the saner view will prevail, and conclusions reached on the basis of a reasoned judgment of issues.
Dr R.S. Dahiya is a Professor, Department of Surgery, Pandit Bhagwat Dayal Sharma University of Health Sciences, Rohtak. He is also the President, Haryana Vigyan Manch—an organisation working in the field of spreading scientific temper and awareness on issues of science.
A STEP FORWARD--S.COURT DESCISION ON KHAP PANCHAYATS
Out dated Khap Panchayats want to reestablish themselves
For quite long time, Gotra Khap panchayats,which are different from the traditional all inclusive khaps panchayats which were for a geographical area and women and dalit inclusive, in Haryana have been defying the spirit of Indian constitution and had been disrespecting it on various issues around disputes of different Gotra Marriages in Haryana. The issue has been inflated in form of same gotra marriages crisis knowingly to hide the irrationalities coducted from time to time. The traditional Khap panchayats would recruit thousands of women in their military . The dalits and other caste people would be their senapati’s. The Sarv Khap (or all Khap) Panchayat (council) represented all the Khaps and all the people men and women irrespective of caste and creed. The individual Khaps would elect leaders who would send delegates, who would represent the Khaps at the Sarv Khap level. It was a political organization, composed of all the clans, communities, and castes in the region.May be a meaningful role might have been there of these Panchayats in those days. But in present cotext their evaluation and critique will be aroun their present composition and interventions. I could not find out the written documents , but three Panchayats (Nature I cannot define whether Khap or Gotra Panchayats these were) I hear about are A panchayat in Barona in 1911on Education in Haryana , then a Panchayat in sixties in Sisana regarding marriages over expenses etc. and then a people’s revolt in Pipli against forced family planning autrocity. During emergency period. But if we take the account of last 20 years or so then the situation is full of controversies like Jaundhi, Assanda, Nayabas, Ladawas, Badhra, Dharana , Kavita and many more where the interventions by these Panchayats had been self damaging and invited criticism of the civic society as well. New addition is there now that of the marriages in same gotra and to meet out this serious situation amendment in the Hindu marriage act. This is after a punishment descision by Karnal Session Jude in Manoj babli case. In he honour killing cases there is not any statement by these social Panchayats to condemn these killings. Actually honour killing is also taking place in areas where tradition of Khap panchayats had not been there like Punjab and other states like jharkhand. Basically it is the mind set of patriachal and feudal thought process which exists in all socities and very strongly in the areas where these Khap Panchayats are operating.Directly many instances can be quoted or indirecly by mounting a pressure of ‘gam ki izzat’ or ‘honour’of the community the family members are compelled to murder their kith and kin adopting many ways.
The self styled gotra panchayats have been playing as a parallel legal body to punish newly married couples in Haryana in form of breaking the marriages and making the husband and wife to be brothers and sisters.I can say strongly that in khap geographical areas majority of the youth (boys and girls)donot like to marry in same gotra.We appeal our elders not to be harsh on their sons and daughters if they do something which elders donot like. The recent happenings and news items are further testimony to these unfortunate incidents. This is very painful and hurting that the civic society is not in a position to counter these unwanted interventions and heinous crimes in society of Haryana. First thing which is preached by these beloved senior citizens (Bujurgs) is that we should respect out ‘Parampara’ and villages of Haryana cannot be made America.Genuine and relevent Paramparas should be respected and carried in day today life. Parampara of our saheeds like Bhagat Singh to make highest sacrifices for the uplifment of the society really needs to be followed. As far was our Parampara in concerned, Raja Nal Damyanti Kissa is very famous here in Haryana. A swayambar was organized where Damyanti was free to choose her husband. She chose Raja Nal then why the girls and boys of Haryana are not allowed to exercise this choice now ? In our Kabilas, there used to be group youth marriages in older times. In many of the Kabilas, the mother dominated family parampara was there but who broke that Parampara.? In the beginning in the tribe the marriage within the tribe was a custom which continues even now at some places. But later on there was a change in the custom not to marry in the same tribe. This was not done under banner of any Panchayat in those days.(Not documented as far as I know) Similarly in our parampara Heer/Ranjha, Soni-Mahiwal and so many other love stories are very popular. In other words ‘love’ has been part and parcel of our parampara. Satyavan- Savitri Kissa is also there where Savitri fought with yamdoot ( for freedom of woman). Why in today’s life the love of inter case marriages, love of marriage between Kadian boy and Gehlaut girl is being hanged under the name of Parampara in Haryana ? Earlier “Nai”used to go to fix the marriage. It was our Parampara. Why not now? Earlier there would be 3 days marriage. It sliped to one and half days and now only few hours matter on the same day. Why this change in the Parampara? Earlier we used to leave Gotra of ‘Nani’, ‘Dadi,’ Father and Mother. But we donot consider Gotra of Nani any more. Why we have betrayed our Parampara? Who have betrayed ? There is no betrayal , it is demand of the time to change.Now People have with their experience come to the conclusion that the Gotra of Dadi is also a problem to finalise the marriage and this is also not considered at many places. Parampara was there that we used to respect our elders with core of our heart. Do we do now also?Why we are not serious about many of our such Pramparas any more.? At many places Bhaichara gotras are also not considered while deciding about marriage. We used to cut the Placenta with an junked Iron knife as an parampara. But when we came to know that this is causing Tetanus in Children., we left this PRAMPARA. In our custom we had “Rabri”as a diet. But where is Rabri now? Similarly Ghunghat and Ghaghra are our customary dresses. Why women folk of rural areas donot wear Ghaghra and why they themselves donot wear Khadua and Dhoti.? There is an endless list of customs which we used to follow earlier but donot follow now. Why? Let us think over it.It is not the dictat of America but it need of the developing civic society. As far as question of American culture is there, there are many good points in that also. But where is the need of bringing degeneration of that culture here.? We already have degenerated culture in our villages where innocent girls are being exploited by their family members, their neighbour, their village people. But these so called social reformers of samaj never came against this domestic violence against women in Haryana villages. Rather they blame the women folk for this degenerative culture and come to the rescue of offenders in such cases. These reformists never came against Selective Female Foeticide. Every house in Rural Haryana drinking (daru) has made enteries may be one or more persons may not be taking alcohol in that house. But these reformists have never had a campaign against “Daru”. Peasants are doing suicides because of economic crisis. We seldom take note of that. On the other hand, our own culture of Haryana is very rich in various paramparas regarding marriages in various native Haryanvi communities where lot of flexibility is present when love marriage issue arises between boy and girl and also about the aberrations of the same castes and same gotras marriage. There is Baniya community in Haryana which has deep cultural roots here. Similarly Brahmins are there which are very strong part and parcel of Haryanvi culture. In both of these communities there is great flexibility in marriage rituals in such aberration situations. Let us go into a bit detail of the same. Suppose in Baniya community, if the boy and girl are from the same gotra say both are singla and they want to marry. They are not encouraged to marry by both the families in first instance. But if the boy and girl persist and insist for the marriage, then there is flexibility in this community. The girl will adopt the gotra of mother and the boy and girl marriage will be solemnized. There is no tradition or parampara of honour’ killing of these couples. I know many of my colleagues in this community where such marriages have taken place. Similarly in Brahmins, the ‘parampara’ had been to give space to such marriages where boy and girl are from the same gotra more or less in the same way as the Baniyas.Bhardwaj boy and bhardwaj girl love marriage is solmonised by changing ‘shashan’ Then among jats cannot the aberration be dealt with by giving another gotra to the girl. The parents of the boy should not be harrased at all. Or there can be many more flexible ways to deal with such aberrations. The same phenomenon without any reservation has been since long amongst the Punjabi community. The marriages with first cousin or second cousin are very common. The people of this section of our society are big ‘Thekedars’ of our ‘Hindu Sanskriti’ and ‘Hindu Paramparas’ .Haryanvi culture and paramparas are part of this. I cannot quote any study showing significant increased congenital abnormalities in this community amongst first cousin couples. Empirically also with an experience of 25 years in surgical practice, I can say that there does not seem to be much difference in first cousin couples of this communities regarding congenital deformities. In Muslim NRI’s in America and other countries, there are studies regarding congenital abnormalities in first cousin marriage couples which reveal that about 2.6% more congenital abnormalities are there. Many of the scientists have said that on basis of this data, first cousin marriages should not be discouraged. In our village context, if at all the marriage in same gotra in same village takes place, it would be practically in 3rd or 4th Peedhi or even more distant peedhi (Marriage in same gotra from other village would have difference of even much more peedhis). Hence, we may say that chances of congenital abnormalities would be even less than first couple marriage abnormalities in muslims (2.6%). Moreover, there is no scientific study regarding congenital defects in these marriages of this type of couples because there are hardly any marriages of this nature which escape the brutal eyes of rural communities and are alive. Hence to comment either way to call the opposition of Gotra marriages having a scientific bases or other way round is a non scientific approach. There are many villages in Haryana, where majority gotra is not left for marriages. SAMCHANA village is a glaring example of this category of villages where more than 15 Jat gotras exist and the girls from any of these gotras from other villages are allowed marriages in Samchana amongst other gotra. For instance, the majority gotra in samchana is ABC and it is permissible to arrange a marriage of ABC girl from other village with boy of existing gotras in samchana like XYZ and MNO. Is it a village which has been implanted from American culture? Another such example is village Guga Heri in which lot of Dalal families are there. From Mandhothi (a Dalal village) many girls are married in Guga Heri in other gotra families. In Dharana case, there was a news-item – “Shilpa should we call you Beti or Bahu? ”. I would request Dharana village people to go to Guga Heri or visit Samchana and try to find a solution for this gravely disheartening situation. I call all logically thinking intellectuals of Haryana to collect data of such villages and let the Dharana people know about it. Then the issue of Dharana case raised in name of our Parampara becomes ridiculous and irrelevant within the premises of Khap Panchayats, even not to take reference of other civic society parameters. There will not be any explanation if still these so called panchayats say that no Dharana village paramparas are special villages specific and they have nothing to do with other villages of Haryana. Similarly there are villages in Haryana like Chautala village where marriages are socialized in the same villages. Late Ch. Devi Lal belonged to this chautala village. Then why these Khap panchayats did not issue a FATWA against his village? Chautala is not a single village to name, there are many villages in that area. Moreover one more thing can be inferred here is that these so called panchayats are selective in their targets. High ups and people with strong base, these panchayats hardly target. The fact is that these so called Khap panchayats are doing immoral, antisocial, anti constitutional, and criminal work which should be strongly condemned by the civic society of Haryana and the different institutions of political, social, administrative and legal area should take serios cognizance of this heinous crime. The people at large and youth in particular will have to come to defend these marriages and oppose khap panchayat FATWA sooner or later. R.S.Dahiya ng the High court orders. The recent happenings and news items are further testimony to these unfortunate incidents. This is very painful and hurting that the civic society is not in a position to counter these ‘Fatwas’ and heinous crimes in society of Haryana. First thing which is preached by these so called panchayats is that we should respect out ‘Parampara’ and villages of Haryana cannot be made America. As far was our Parampara in concerned, Raja Nal Damyanti Kissa is very famous here in Haryana. A swayambar was organized where Damyanti was free to choose her husband. She chose Raja Nal , why the girls of Haryana are not allowed to exercise this choice now ? In our Kabilas, there used to be group youth marriages in older times. In many of the Kabilas, the mother dominated family parampara was there but who broke that Parampara.? Similarly in our parampara Heer/Ranjha, Soni-Mahiwal and so many other love stories are very popular. In other words ‘love’ has been part and parcel of our parampara. Satyavan- Savitri Kissa is also there where Savitri fought with yamdoot (freedom of woman). Why in todays life the love of inter case marriages, love of marriage between Kadian boy and Gehlaut girl and love of same gotra is being hanged under the name of Parampara in Haryana ? As far as question of American culture is there,thereare many good points in that. But where is the need of bringing degeneration of that culture here. We already have degenerated culture in our villages where innocent girls are being exploited by their family members, their neighbour, their village people. But these so called panchayats never came against this domestic violence against women in Haryana villages. Rather they blame the womenfolk for this degenerative culture and come to the rescue of offenders in such cases.These Panchayats never came against Selective Female Foeticide. Every house in Rural Haryana daru has made enteries may be one or more persons may not be taking alcohol in that house. But these khap Panchayats have never had a campaign against “Daru”. Peasants are doing suicides because of economic On the other hand, our own culture of Haryana is very rich in various paramparas regarding marriages in various native Haryanvi communities where lot of flexibility is present when love marriage issue arises between boy and girl of the same castes and same gotras or intercaste marriage. There is Baniya community in Haryana which has deep cultural roots here. Similarly Brahmins are there which are very strong part and parcel of Haryanvi culture. In both of these communities there is great flexibility in marriage rituals. Let us go into a bit detail of the same. Suppose in Baniya community, if the boy and girl are from the same gotra say both are singla and they want to marry. They are not encouraged to marry by both the families in first instance. But if the boy and girl persist and insist for the marriage, then there is flexibility in this community. The girl will adopt the gotra of mother and the boy and girl marriage will be solemnized. There is no tradition or parampara of ‘fatwas’ for killing of these couples. I know many of my colleagues in this community where such marriages have taken place. Similarly in Brahmins, the ‘parampara’ had been to give space to such marriages where boy and girl are from the same gotra more or less in the same way as the Baniyas. The same phenomenon without any reservation has been since long amongst the Punjabi community. The marriages with first cousin or second cousin are very common. The people of this section of our society are big ‘Thekedars’ of our ‘Hindu Sanskriti’ and ‘Hindu Parampars’ .Haryanvi culture and paramparas are part of this. I cannot quote any study showing increased congenital abnormalities in this community amongst first cousin couples. Empirically also with an experience of 25 years in surgical practice, I can say that there does not seem to be much difference in first cousin couples of this communities regarding congenital deformities. In Muslim NRI’s in America and other countries, there are studies regarding congenital abnormalities in first cousin marriage couples which reveal that about 2.6% more congenital abnormalities are there. Many of the scientists have said that on basis of this data, first cousin marriages should not be discouraged. In our village context, if at all the marriage in same gotra in same village takes place, it would be practically in 3rd or 4th Peedhi or even more distant peedhi (Marriage in same gotra from other village would have difference of even much more peedhis). Hence, we may say that chances of congenital abnormalities would be even less than first couple marriage abnormalities in muslims(2.6%). Moreover, there is no scientific study regarding congenital defects in these marriages of this type of couples because there are hardly any marriages of this nature which escape the brutal eyes of rural communities and are alive. Hence to comment either way to call the opposition of Gotra marriages having a scientific bases or other way round is a non scientific approach. There are many villages in Haryana, where majority gotra is not left for marriages. SAMCHANA village is a glaring example of this category of villages where more than 15 Jat gotras exist and the girls from any of these gotras from other villages are allowed marriages in Samchana amongst other gotra. For instance, the majority gotra in samchana is ABC and it is permissible to arrange a marriage of ABC girl from other village with boy of existing gotras in samchana like XYZ and MNO. Is it a village which has been implanted from American culture? Another such example is village Guga Heri in which lot of Dalal families are there. From Mandhothi (a Dalal village) many girls are married in Guga Heri in other gotra families. In Dharana case, there was a news-item – “Shilpa should we call you Beti or Bahu? ”. I would request Dharana village people to go to Guga Heri or visit Samchana and try to find a solution for this gravely disheartening situation. I call all logically thinking intellectuals of Haryana to collect data of such villages and let the Dharana people know about it. Then the issue of Dharana case raised in name of our Parampara becomes ridiculous and irrelevant within the premises of Khap Panchayats, even not to take reference of other civic society parameters. There will not be any explanation if still these so called panchayats say that no Dharana village paramparas are special villages specific and they have nothing to do with other villages of Haryana. Similarly there are villages in Haryana like Chautala village where marriages are socialized in the same villages. Late Ch. Devi Lal belonged to this chautala village. Then why these Khap panchayats did not issue a FATWA against his village? Chautala is not a single village to name, there are many villages in that area. Moreover one more thing can be inferred here is that these so called panchayats are selective in their targets. High ups and people with strong base, these panchayats hardly target. The fact is that these so called Khap panchayats are doing immoral, antisocial, anti constitutional, and criminal work which should be strongly condemned by the civic society of Haryana and the different institutions of political, social, administrative and legal area should take serios cognizance of this heinous crime. The people at large and youth in particular will have to come to defend these marriages and oppose khap panchayat FATWA sooner or later.
R.S.Dahiya
PURITY OF GOTRA BLOOD IS A MYTH
PURITY OF GOTRA BLOOD IS A MYTH
• Debate is on inside Khap Panchayats and outside their domain also .
• The debate has many aspects eg
- social,
- political ,
- economic
- and scientific.
This article deals with the questions which are being debated as the scientific aspect like
- What do we mean by first cousin?
- What is the meaning of sahgotra marriage?
- Does Gotra has a scientific base to explain its cutural identity?
- How genetically the first cousin marriages are different than sahgotra marriages?
- Will the congenital defects will be more than first cousin marriages in sahgotra marriages?
- Does the marriages within one community have potential of more congenital abnormalities?
- 7. Do the intercaste marriages would decrease the potential of congenital defects as compared to marriages in the same caste or community?
- 8. Does in Mahajan community where only father Gotra is spared ,these diseases are more?
- 9. In Brahmins also sahgotra marriages are there. Do we have more congenital diseases in these couples?
- 10. Is not it is the marriages in the same community?
If any congenital disease is more in these communities , is it because of sahgotra marriage or marriage within the same community?
Let us first discuss that this concept of pure Gotra culutral identity has any scientific bases or not ? Culturally we say that in Dahiya Gotra there is Pure Blood of Dahiya and so on in Hooda, Malik etc. This is a myth. Science does not support it.
Each gotra blood has mixture of unlimited gotras added after each generation.
In a way even if we have marriages between different gotras, the chances are of more congenital diseases because the marriage is within the same caste or community
• So as far as the marriages are cocerned from genetics point of view, the sahgotra or between the gotra marriages should not have much differance as far as the incidence of congenital disease is concerned.
• Exchange is taking place between a community.
• To safe Guard the community from congenital defects, Intercommunity marriages is the best choice.
• Whenever the subject is debated within educated members of community, or even among well informed social activists an argument is forwarded by the votaries of the tradition that the exclusion of Gotra of girl and boy’s fathers and mothers is based on scientific considerations.
• The argument is based on the notion that males and females belonging to one Gotra are more closely related by blood than the males and females belonging to different Gotras. Let us examine this argument a little more closely than that what appears on the face Of it. Let me take you two hundred years back.
• Let us assume that one boy named Bhim Boora married a girl Chandro Hooda and they were blessed with a Son named Sarju. By blood Sarju shared equal genetic traits of Boora and Hooda Gotras, therefore by blood he should be known as Sarju Boora Hooda. Also in same period of time let us assume that there was one Lal chand Punia who married Rajo Sheoran and the couple was blessed with a daughter named Ramkali.
• By blood Ramkali shared equal genetic traits of Punia and Sheoran Gotras and therefore she should be known as Ramkali Punia, Sheoran.
• In the course of time (say after 25 years of earlier event) Sarju Boora-Hooda got married to Ramkali Punia-Sheoran and they gave birth to a daughter and named her Sita. By blood (on genetic transmission basis) she was Sita Boora-Hooda-Punia-Sheoran.
• In the same period one young man of Sangwan Gotra married one young woman of Dahia Gotra and gave birth to a daughter named Bimala Sangwan-Dahia and on attaining a proper age married to a youngman Harpal Malik-Jakhar. The couple gave birth to a male child and named him Rajmal. By blood the child was Rajmal Sangwan-Dahia-Malik-Jakhar
• Over the time (say another 25 years) Sita Boora-Hooda-Punia-Sheoran got married to Rajmal Sangwan-Dahia-Malik-Jakhar and gave birth to a daughter and named her Khajani. By blood the girl was Khajani Boora-Hooda-Punia-Sheoran-Sangwan-Dahia-Malik-Jakhar. Around the same period of time there was one male child born to other parents with different grand parents and different great grand parents and was named by blood as Harphool Rana-Fogat-Deshwal-Gahlot-Kadian-Nain-Lohan-Jaglan.
• Khajani and Harphool were married and gave birth to sons and daughters. What will be the Gotra of their sons and daughter? It will be incredibly long but surely they will have their surname like, Rana-Fogat-Deshwal-Gahlot-Kadian-Nain-Lohan-Jaglan-Boora Hooda-Punia-Sheoran-Sangwan-Dahia-Malik-Jakhar. Thus third generation kids will have 16 surnames if they have to stick to blood sharing concepts
• Summarizing, by blood the first patriarch/matriarch must have had blood mix of at least two Gotra; one Gotra blood from his /her father and another from his/her mother. The next generation of that patriarch/matriarch, say after 25 years, will have blood mix from 4 Gotra, third generation, say after 50 years from the start, will have blood mix from 8 Gotra, 16 Gotras after 75 years,
• 32 Gotras after 100 years, 64 Gotras after 125 years, 128 Gotra after 150 years, 256 Gotras after 175 years and 512 Gotra blood after 200 years from start! Jat community must be in being for last 1000 years. That means blood of all Gotras has got mixed many time over. We can say that marriages are within same community. Purity of Gotra is a myth scientifically.
• In actual practice however we do not see such long surname as to indicate the blood mix of so many Gotras. It is simply because mother’s blood is not considered as thick as that of father. Progeny thus only add to their names the Gotra of father and not of mother simply because ours is a patriarchal society.
• But then it means that Gotra system blatantly ignore the sanctity of blood relation and scientific base. So the argument of scietific base does not hold true in Sahgotra marriage.BLOOD MIXING OF ALL GOTRAS MANY TIMES has saturated the Jat Community. We can Say now Marriages within same community have more potential of congenital diseases.
• PURUTY OF BLOOD OF ONE GOTRA IS A MYTH
• IT DOES NOT STAND THE SCUTINY OF SCIENCE
• R.S.DAHIYA
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