Khaps endorse decision to ban girls from wearing jeans

The decision of a self-styled caste council or Khap panchayat to ban girls from wearing jeans has been endorsed by the heads of other such councils, who say that the ban is necessary for preventing young couples in their villages from eloping.

The Khap panchayat led by Battisa Khap Council head Baba Suraj in Bhenswal village had on January 16 passed the diktat which claimed that wearing jeans had a "bad effect" on young women and incidents of eve-teasing had increased due to their "objectionable clothes".

Upholding the diktat, head of the Baliyan Khap Council Mahendra Singh Tikait has said the decision to disallow girls from wearing jeans was right in order to curb "bad effects" on youths of the villages.

He has appealed to other Khap councils to unitedly implement the decision.

Choudhary Virendra Singh, the head of Latiyan Khap council and Hari Kishan, the head of Gadwala Khap council have also supported the decision to ban girls from wearing jeans.

Meanwhile, following the Battisa Khap's formation of a five-member women committee to implement the ban, the women have started to keep a watch on the girls when they go out of their houses.