Change law to ban all same-gotra marriage: Khaps

JIND: A meeting of around 80 khap panchayats of north India was held at Kandela village of this district on Saturday, in which six resolutions were passed with majority.

The khap representatives extended their support with majority to resolutions, including amendments to Hindu Marriage Act, shortening duration of death grief from 13 to seven days, support ‘beti bachao, beti padhao’ campaign, save water and environment and practicising of organic farming.

In his address, legal adviser to khap panchayats D P Vats made a case for change in Hindu Marriage Act and said the state government would be approached to seek amendment to the law through a resolution in the assembly. He said the act had a provision that every individual state had the right to change it according to their rituals. He said the khap would now give a solution and not a questioner to government for amendment to the act by telling them who could marriage in which gotra with a scientific reason.

He added that marriage in the same gotra was unscientific and this weakened the generations genetically. “Our boys have won maximum medals in Olympics, Asian and Commonwealth Games and this is because our khaps followed genetic science and so they would seek support from khaps and ask the government to pass it in assembly,” he said.

Talking to mediapersons, Naresh Taikat said they would also launch a campaign against preparation of food on death of somebody in a family and if someone still does it then no one would eat their food. “Preparing food when somebody dies is extravagant and this has to be stopped. We have started our efforts in this direction,” he said.

Tek Ram Kandela, head of Kandela khap and newly inducted chairman of Haryana State Cooperative Labour and Construction Federation Limited (Labour fed), said six resolutions had been passed in the meeting and khaps would work in their respective area to implement these points. At the same time, he demanded Rs 12,000 yearly as pension instead of 6,000 announced for farmers by the central government.