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Haryana village resolves to ban love marriage, seeks social boycott of couple, families
The gathering also proposed action against relatives and supporters of such unions, while the sarpanch said the gram panchayat had no role in the decision.
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A social panchayat held in Arya Nagar village in Haryana’s Hisar district has passed a resolution against love marriages and announced that such unions between people from the same village will face a social boycott.
The resolution was adopted on Sunday at the gathering of village elders, attended by around 1,000 villagers, also proposed similar action against family members or others who support such marriages. It added that a committee would conduct a door-to-door campaign to ascertain the villagers’ views on the ban.
According to people familiar with the matter, the decision was taken in the wake of three such incidents in recent months, where couples from the same village tied the knot. The panchayat was held under the chairmanship of Kulwant Gosla, a village elder.
Elected panchayat distances itself
However, Arya Nagar village sarpanch Rattan Singh, who also attended the panchayat, said the elected panchayat had no role in this decision. The decision was taken after the village recently witnessed three such marriages, where two of the couples were from different castes and one was from the same caste, he added.
A villager, Bhajan Lal, said, “We consider every girl in the village our own daughter. A new practice has emerged that we believe is against our longstanding social customs, and the entire village has come together to oppose it.”
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Hisar superintendent of police Siddhant Jain said that he will look into the matter, and that police will ensure the safely and security of such couples.
Senior advocate of the Punjab and Haryana High Court Kamal Anand said consenting adults have a fundamental right under Article 21 to choose their life partners, and panchayat diktats imposing social boycotts have no legal validity and may invite criminal and statutory action. He suggested dialogue, adding that such orders can put their organisers at risk of criminal action for intimidation under the BNS.
