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What's Gotra Got To Do With It?
Chetan Bhagat, May 22, 2010, 12.00am IST
I don't know my own gotra. I didn't even know what gotra meant until
recently. Many people still don't, but calling it a sub-caste is a
good proxy definition. I don't know why it was invented, or why it is
still relevant. As if it wasn't good enough to divide people on caste,
we needed one more level of sub-caste slicing to ensure as many
Indians hate each other as possible.
However, this time it isn't being from different gotras that is a
problem, it is being from the same one. Unlike inter-caste marriages
that are considered problematic, the problem lies in intra-gotra
marriages. These, according to some, will completely tarnish a
family's reputation and pose health risks to kids of the wedded
couple, due to genetic similarities. People from the same gotra aren't
blood related, but marriage between them is not encouraged (read:
death sentences are passed).
Leading the 'no-same-gotra-love' T-shirt brigade are the khap
panchayats. The khap system is thousands of years old, and our
erstwhile British rulers lived with it and probably encouraged it, to
avoid the judicial system being flooded with petty disputes and
enabling these to be solved at the local level. The British left 63
years ago, but khaps have survived, aided by the patronage of local
political parties which in turn find them nice little rural vote
banks.
The khap justice system is neither as rigorous as nor always
consistent with the Indian legal system. Nor has it been reformed.
However, given political patronage, khaps still thrive in parts of
north India. One of the most controversial khap diktats is the
no-same-gotra-marriage, something the youth in rural areas find quite
baffling. Desperate for reform, the youth had hoped a young leader
like their MP Naveen Jindal would come and change draconian rules. But
he backed the khap's demand to turn no-same-gotra-marriage into a law.
While shocking and disappointing to many, one can see his motivation
in backing regressive ideas. It is always easier to tap into
traditions and win support. It is much harder to be progressive,
change thinking and still take people along.
Fears of genetic similarities leading to offspring risks do not hold.
Apparently, there are historical roots between same gotra people and
hence there could be genetic similarities. Those roots may be 10
generations old, and anyone with basic knowledge of genetics and
mathematics will tell you that in 10 generations, less than 0.1 per
cent of DNA may be sibling-like between two offspring of the same
roots. Legality is also a non-issue. Many communities have marriages
between cousins, without any legal issues.
While chances of the no-same-gotra diktat becoming a law are extremely
remote, outright support of medieval traditions by modern era leaders
make one shudder about which direction politicians are taking our
country. Jindal had earlier fought in court for every citizen's
freedom to hoist the Indian flag. When a crusader for individual
freedom backs a proposal preventing two human beings to be in love and
make a future together, one wonders what our politicians will do to
get a few extra votes. Did he make a calculation? Did the number of
older people versus younger people (those who actually vote) go in
favour of the older people? Is that the only criterion for making
political decisions? Or is it about doing the right thing and leading
the country to progress?
We live in rare times where conflict between the thought of the old
and new generations is at its peak. We have Indian women leading
global corporations. We also have Indian parents who don't want their
daughters to study further. I was in Gorakhpur last week, where a
young girl in a semi-rural area confessed to me that her father didn't
want her to go to college unless it was within a five-kilometre radius
of the house. There was no consideration for what the girl wanted to
become in life. This is just one example.
From khap rules to individual rules, India-old and India-new battle
everyday. India-old is powerful: khaps wield power. However, India-new
has better ideas for progress. India-old has dominated thought for the
last six decades and, to put it bluntly, not achieved much. We are,
despite all our missile and satellite launches, one of the poorest
nations on earth. Our biggest cities don't have basics like good water
and power. With such a poor report card, it is suprising India-old
still makes and imposes rules. The only reason it can do so is
difference in power. This is where politicians come in.
Politicians have power which they can lend to India-new and back them
all the way. They can take a stand, embrace progress, back individual
freedom, uphold modern laws and focus on real rural issues (corruption
in NREGA, for instance). This will lead to a more prosperous country
and a better life for all Indians. Jindal had a chance to do that, to
play a part in history, be the role model for rural Haryana's youth.
However, he blew it, with his short-sightedness to remain in power.
What use is power when it isn't used to help others?
Meantime, pass whatever diktats and make whatever laws - none of them
can take on Mother Nature, and prevent two people from falling in
love. Try as much as you can. Meanwhile, i still don't know my gotra.
And i hope i never find out.
The writer is a best-selling novelist.
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