Alleviation: An International Journal of Nutrition, Gender & Social Development, ISSN 2348-9340
Volume 2, Number 2 (2015) : 1-7
©Arya PG College, Panipat & Business Press India Publication, Delhi
www.aryapgcollege.com, www.apcjournals.com

Role of Khap Panchayats for Ameliorating Social Problems with Special Reference to Female Foeticide inHaryana: An Analysis

1. Dr. Dalbir Singh & 2. Dr. Santosh Hooda
1Associate Professor, Department of Geography, Pt. NRS Govt. College, Rohtak (Haryana), India
2Associate Professor, Department of Home Science, BPSM Girls College, Khanpur Kalan (Haryana), India
E-mail: dlbrhooda@gmail.com

Introduction

The Khap Panchayat is the group of like-minded people who play a significant role for solving the socio-economic and political problems at grass-root level. Meaning thereby; these are the factors which determine the behavior of social group or groups. These factors determine the human behavior of the work force engaged in constructive or destructive works. As a result of these factors, the outcome of social harmony or disharmony is also determined. Khap Panchayat is an ancient, democratic and socially sanctioned institution of Haryana. The historic past indicates that the Khap Panchayats have been playing a vital role and indulged in such things which maypose threats to its social values. The Khap Panchayats play a significant role for raising the voice against discrimination, injustice and disharmony in society against women, during pre and post-independence periods. Khap Panchayats play a positive as well as negative role regarding the social problems in Haryana.The initial unit of organizational hierarchy of Khap Panchayat is the village which spread over vast area. It begins with the family and keeps on organizing numerous of families, known as Thola. The formation of many Thola, constitute a Pana or Patti. Village is formed by many Panas. And further the group of different villages form a Tapa, Thamba, Chaugama, Pachgama, Athgama, Chaubisiand Araha. Main person of Thola is known as Tholedar. The elder person of the village is known as Pradhan. The system of inherent appointment ofKhap Panchayat is still temporary in nature. Presently the headquarters of Sarva Khap Panchayat is located at the village Soram in the district Mujjafarnagar in Uttar Pradesh.

Female Foeticide in Haryana

Female foeticide is the selective abortion/elimination of the female child, done intentionally by the mother, after the detection of the child’s gender through medical tests. This is usually done under pressure from the husband or the in-laws or even the woman’s own parents. Like many societies around the world, India is patriarchal. A set of hierarchy prevails in all tiers of its social order and a fanatic preference for male child is especially common in Haryana. Majority of female foeticide cases involve the enthusiastic participation of women, both old and young.

Female foeticide is most prevalent in Indian cultural ethnicity particularly in Haryana. The ratio of girls to boys in India is becoming increasingly skewed in favour of boys, as more and more girls are being selectively aborted as foetuses or killed even after birth. The 2011 census highlighted the adverse sex ratio in Haryana. Sex Ratio of Haryana is 877 females per 1000 males, which is below national average of 940 as per census 2011. In 2001, the sex ratio of females was 861 per 1000 males in Haryana (Table 1).
Source: Census of India 2001 and 2011
It is well known that the Indian community is facing social problems such as female foeticide, violence against women, early marriages of girls, dowry and low female literacy levels. This paper is focused on female foeticide in a particular state of India, that is, Haryana. However State government has been introducing policies like Kishori Shakti Yojna, Ladli Laxmi Yojana, Devi Rupak and Beti Bachao Beti Padao. These are theefforts to improve the status of women and the girl children, as well as to reverse the skewed trend.
In a modern times, females not only face discrimination but also deprived of the right to bear female child. Recent demographic data indicate that a systemic willful killing of female infants is a thing of the past in many developed countries. Several cultures have practiced female infanticide to get rid of unwanted girls (Hrdy 1999). Cultural and ethnographic reports suggest that the role of cultural practices, like the high costs of dowry and the prospect of old age care and protection by sons, are the main reasons for the prevalence of female neglect. Preference for boys is due to various reasons as support in old age (90%), bringing in dowry (75%), continuation of the family name (37%), support in old age (88%) and wealth remaining in the family (60%) and bringing in dowry (17%) (Sarvari 2009).One of the reasons, as reported by Hoffman (1988), is that in India sons are seen as a source of economic security. Parents believe that sons will support them in their old age, while daughters belong to the husbands’ families and take on the responsibilities of the husbands’ families. Hence, the son’s value stands enhanced.

Main Causes of Female Foeticide in Haryana

Male Children - Superior Asset

The male childrenare seen as the main source of incomeand better support for the family.

Female Children – A Venture

The ancient dowry system puts a damper on the spirits of those who are blessed with a girl child. When a girl is born, the parents begin to calculate the expenses of her marriage in future. Girls are considered as Paraya Dhan means property of others.

Women – Lack Powerful Status in Society

Females have less power, low status, few rights and less money in India. Even as adults, it's harder for females to take care of themselves or make decisions for them. Females are dependent on males (Brothers, fathers and husbands). Literacy rate of females is less than males in Haryana.

Malpractices in Medical Profession

Illegal sex determination and termination of pregnancies have become everyday realities. Some professionals in the medical field are only too glad to help parents realize their dream of a healthy baby boy.

Recent Positive Steps Taken by Khap Panchayats to Prevent Female Foeticide in Haryana

On March 7, 2011, Dahiya Khap(Organized a panchayat on the eve of women day, to mark 1000 years of earlier panchayat) has made the participation of women in decision making in every meeting of Khap Panchayat asmandatory. The Mahapanchayat passed a resolution that without one third participation of women in Khap Panachayats, no meeting can be held. The decision was taken in the presence of women who participated in the Mahapanchayat and female feoticide was banned.
The Thua Khap Sarvajatiya panchayat has announced a ban on sex determination tests and female foeticide in 24 villages in the tapa (Cluster) under its jurisdiction in the district Jind. The minimum penalty would be Rs 1,100 and could be increased in case of repeating the crime.
All Khaps panchayats have called a meeting at Bibipur village, Jind on July14, 2012. Approximately three hundred members of different Khap panchayats throughout the country have participated in this Mahasamelen. They decided to take steps for women empowerment in the society. They passed the order that a woman has the legal right in her patrimonial property. This step will be a milestone for the interests of women in the society. Haryana government also appreciated this effort and granted Rs one crore to Bibipurpanchayat.
On 24 March 2013, the leaders of Gathwala Khap panchayat that is biggest khap panchayat in Haryana resolved to launch an anti-foeticide campaign and to give incentives to parents having girl children only (Deswal 2013).
A meeting of Jhorar Khap Panchayat was held on February 4, 2015 of Bani village of Sirsa passed a resolution that female foeticide is slur on society, and announced social boycott of those, who will indulge in this practice (Anonymous 2015).
Khap Panchayat leaders met Prime Minister of India, Sh. Narender Modi regarding Jat reservation in April 2015, he said to Khap Pannchayat leaders that he wanted that they should put an end to female foeticide and killing of daughters. He promised that he will sanction quota for them if they end female foeticide (Anonymous 2015).
Strategies for Ameliorating the Social Problem of Female Foeticide in Haryana
• The Khap Panchayats may organize the meeting at a grass root level for inculcating the
• The Khap Panchayats may make a co-ordination with the Gram Panchayats, this may be proved more effective in accordance with prevailing local conditions.
• The Gram Panchayats may provide an institutional support to the Khap Panchayats so that the crucial decisions taken by these institutions may get a legal entity. By this the probability of acceptability may be increased in this regards.
• A joint venture between Khap Panchayat and the Gram Panchayat may develop a great pressure for helping to change the approach and mind set of the people, who often prefer a male child.
• The NGOs which have been involved to curb this social evil, may take help from Khap Panchayat for supporting their views on this burning problem.
• The Khap Panchayats should also be equally dominated by women along with men.

Conclusions

Khap Panchayats have been playing significant role in raising the socio economic and political issues in the rural areas of Haryana. Now these Khap Panchayats have become a main platform to solve any problem of different problematic areas. The enactment of a stringent and effective laws is very essential to improve the sex-ratio in Haryana. A collective psychosis has been spawned by the Khap Panchayats over the issue of tradition and there is need to build a vibrant civil society. Only an institution likeKhap Panchayat may be in a position to ameliorate the mind- set of the people to wipe out the problem of female foetecide and other social problems in Haryana

References
Anonymous (2014) Now, Bibipur to Help Women Stand Up Against Female Foeticide. Available athttp://timesofindia.indiatimes.com
Anonymous (2015) Jhorar Khap Panchayat to Boycott Members Practising Foeticide Available at http://www.tribuneindia.com
Anonymous ( 2015) Promise to End Female Foeticide if You Want Quota, Narendra Modi Told Jats. Available athttp://indianexpress.com
Arya NS (1991) Sarva Khap Ka Rashtria Prakashan. New Delhi: Saini Printers.
Azaddi A (1999) Social Geography. Jaipur: Rawat Publications.
Choudhry DR (2006) Khap Panchyats Out of Tune with the Time.The Tribune- January 28, Chandigarh.
Choudhry DR (2010) Killing in the Khap Belt- Imperative Need to Build a Vibrant Civil Society. The Tribune-September 26, Chandigarh.
Chaudhry P (2001) Caste Panchayats and the Policy of Marriage in Haryana: Enforcing Kinship and Territorial Exogamy. International Sociology Journal: 7-14.
Desai AR (1969) Rural Sociology in India. Delhi: Popular Prakashan.
Deswal D (2013) Gathwala Khap Joins Forces Against Female Foeticide.Available at http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com
Devi S and Shaveta B (2011) Khap Panchayats in Haryana.Punjab University Research Journal 38 (2).
Government of India (2011) Census of India. Available at http://censusindia.gov.in
Harris KD (1974) The Geography of Crime and Justice. New York: Mc Grew Hill.
Hoffman LW (1988) Female Foeticide Clarification and Situation. Available athttp://yafgi.empowerpeople.org.in
Hrdy SB (1999) Mother Nature: A History of Mothers, Infants and Natural Selection. New York: Pantheon Books.
Saini SR (2009) Gotra Row: Sarva Khap Revises Exile Verdict. The Tribune- August 10, New Delhi.
Sarvari S (2009) Jat Meet for Change in Hindu Marriage Act. The Hindustan Times- August 10, New Delhi.
Sarvari S (2009) Khap Panchayat not Just a Social Force but Political too. The Hindustan Times-September 25, New Delhi.
Singh D and Singh S (2014) Evaluating the Magnitude of Female Foeticide Problem of Panjab and Haryana –A Regional Analysis. IOSR Journal of Social Science 19(10): 69-78.
Singh S and Singh D (2013) Identifying the Centripetal and Centrifugal Forces through Khap Panchayats in Haryana –An Analysis. IOSR Journal of Social Science16 (4): 109-116
UNFPA (2001) Gender Biased Sex Selection. Available at http://countryoffice.unfpa.org