At a recent meeting in Rohtak district, more than 180 khap panchayats announced widespread protests in case the Centre did not bring about the amendment by November 7.
Sarv Jat Khap Mahapanchayat has warned the Centre against promulgating a new legislation to punish people resorting to honour killings. It has instead demanded that the Hindu Marriage Act of 1955 be amended to prevent same-gotra marriages.
At a recent meeting in Rohtak district, more than 180 khap panchayats announced widespread protests in case the Centre did not bring about the amendment by November 7.
The meeting also decided to organise an all-North India khap
panchayat on August 7 at Meham Chaubisi in Rohtak district to plan its next course of action.
Nasib Singh, spokesman for the mahapanchayat, said, “Our repeated pleas to the Centre have fallen on deaf ears.”
He said the khaps were strongly against honour killings. “At no point did the khaps ordain or issue diktats that youths marrying within a gotra be eliminated, even if they violate the age-old tradition and custom of society,” Nasib said.
“… but at the same time,” he said, “we would not favour punishment to those who kill for honour. Instead of banning same-gotra marriages, the Centre proposes to bring a legislation against honour killings. We can’t allow the Centre to take legal action against them [those killing for honour].”
Karan Singh, president of a khap panchayat, said invitations had been sent to more than 600 khap panchayats for the August 7 meeting. He demanded that the Centre form a committee of legal experts to explore the possibility of amending the Hindu Marriage Act.
Karan said the Centre must legally ban marriages within a gotra even as khap panchayats would launch a public awareness campaign.
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