Hooda's shot in the arm for khaps
The New Indian Express
First Published : 07 Jun 2010 11:55:00 PM ISTLast Updated : 07 Jun
2010 01:44:04 AM IST
After Congress MP Naveen Jindal's approving wink at the khap
panchayats for their regressive outlook, if not their violence, it is
now the Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda's turn to voice
the same outmoded views. Comparing these caste-based panchayats, which
have no legal sanction, with the NGOs, Hooda said that if such
organisations perform "good work, it earns appreciation".
Notwithstanding the caveat against violating the law, the chief
minister's cautious praise will, first, embolden these outfits to
continue with their 'good work' of opposing same gotra marriages and
intimidating the young men and women who dare to defy these local
traditions. And, secondly, ensure that the police will not be too
eager to pursue any instances of the harassment of couples.
Such official and political endorsement of obscurantist conventions
can encourage 'honour' killings as well, whose numbers are rising with
distressing frequency. While the bigotry of the khap panchayats is
currently confined mainly to Haryana because of the dominance of the
Jats in the state, the scourge of 'honour' killings for marrying
outside the caste has become a feature of other states in the Hindi
heartland.
It is not difficult to understand why Hooda has chosen to take a step
backwards into medieval darkness. He has been on the defensive after
his gamble of calling for early elections in Haryana backfired with Om
Prakash Chautala's Indian National Lok Dal recovering much of its lost
ground. More recently, an attack on a Dalit family in Mirchpur, in
which a local khap panchayat was allegedly involved, earned the Hooda
government a bad name. Rahul Gandhi's visit to the Dalit home also put
the chief minister in an embarrassing position. He has also faced the
Supreme Court's ire in this context.
Given these setbacks, Hooda's need to fall back on the Jats, who
constitute his political as well as personal gotra, was perhaps
unavoidable. He cannot afford to alienate them by criticising the khap
panchayats lest they should turn in droves to Chautala's party. The
Congress, of course, will again have to bank on its expertise in
walking a tight rope in such delicate matters where retrogressive
local political compulsions have to be balanced against the party's
claims of liberalism. The party could largely ignore Jindal's comments
because he is a relatively small fry. But Hooda's support for what are
undoubtedly illegal entities poses a bigger problem.
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