Haryana khaps seek ban on marriages within same village, live-in relationships

Last week, khap leaders from Rohtak, Jhajjar and Sonepat had held a meeting where they decided to ban marriages in same village, same gotra, restriction on live-in culture, reducing marriage age from 18 years to 16 years and parents’ consent mandatory in love marriages.

Haryana’s several khap panchayats have demanded that the government should ban live-in-relationship and should not give consent to the child born from such couples, besides consent should be mandatory from parents in love marriages. The khap heads also demanded to reduce the marriage age from 18 years to 16 years.

Haryana’s several khap panchayats have demanded that the government should ban live-in-relationship and should not give consent to the child born from such couples, besides consent should be mandatory from parents in love marriages. The khap heads also demanded to reduce the marriage age from 18 years to 16 years. (Representational image)

The khaps sought an amendment to the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955, to ban marriages within the same village, gotra in the state and make live-in-relationship illegal.

Last week, khap leaders from Rohtak, Jhajjar and Sonepat had held a meeting where they decided to ban marriages in same village, same gotra, restriction on live-in culture, reducing marriage age from 18 years to 16 years and parents’ consent mandatory in love marriages. The khap leaders announced to launch a state-wide protest, if the government won’t make any legislation on these issues.

Athgama Khap president Dharambir Pehlwan said, “Marriages in the same gotra, and same villages are not allowed in the rural parts of Haryana and young boys and girls going against the social fabric are creating disputes and, in many cases, it led to violence.”