Rajasthan: Banished by khap panchayat, family forced to live in isolation

The terror and diktat of khap panchyat of Raigar community in Bundi has forced a family to live in isolation for the last five years. There are six members in the ostracized family including an aged couple, two young boys, a girl and a nine-year-old minor.  

In 2013, Rupnarayan Raigar (58) and his family of five were banished because he refused to hand over his four-year-old maternal grandson Yash Kumar to his grandmother. Yash’s father Durgashankar Raigar (32) had died in a road accident in 2010 following which his grandmother reportedly ousted one-year-old Yash and his mother Rekha Bai out of her home in Talera town claiming she was not capable to take care of them after the death of her son. 

The daughter-in-law Rekhabai along with the toddler returned to her father Rupnarayan in Bundi and lived there until she was remarried to another person. Her son, however, continued to stay with the maternal grandfather. It was an accidental insurance claim of his deceased father worth Rs3 lakh that Yash was awarded four year later in 2014, when the love for grandson rekindled in the heart of the aging grandmother. 

She rushed to the Khap Panchyat in Bundi to claim responsibility of her grandson Yash. The Khap Panchyat then called Rupnarayan and ordered him to hand over his maternal grandson to the boy’s grandmother but Rupnarayan refused to abide by the Panchyat’s order asking why she had thrown out his daughter and grandson immediately after his son-in-law’s passing away. Rupnarayan’s refusal to part with Yash resulted in the ostracization of the entire family by the Khap Panchyat. 

Around a year ago Rupanarayan had filed a suit in the court of civil magistrate against the community panchs (village headmen) for turning him out of the community. Riyazuddin Ansari, his legal counsel said notices to the parties concerned  were served but the matter is still under trial. Rupnarayan, who worked as daily labour, has deposited the insurance claim amount in the name of his grandson Yash who would be able to withdraw the same when he turns 18.

“For the last five years, our family has not been invited to any social function, celebration. No one speaks to us,” laments Rupanarayan. Pointing at his grandson Yash, who now studies in class 3, in a private school of the city, Rupnarayan said, “My sin is only one that I have taken up the responsibility of my grandson till he turns eighteen.” Around three months ago, Rupnarayan along with his family dared to attend the Panchyat meeting at community complex in Bundi city but he and his family were subjected to humiliation and insults and were ordered out of the place by community panchs.

‘My eldest son Tarun (28), younger daughter Deepmala (25) and youngest son Dharmraj (23) are still unmarried as no one in the community wants to have relations with us,” Rupnarayan said.

When contacted, members of the Panchyat refused to have delivered such diktat against Rupanarayan’s family. “Rupanarayan has lost his mind and suffers from psychological disorder,” claimed Modu Lal Verma, the head of Bundi city raigar Panchyat. When the community head was pointed out that his sons and daughter share their father’s view, Lal said “The eldest son is suffering from greater mental disorder behaves like a lunatic.” 

The story so far...

In 2013, Rupnarayan Raigar (58) and his family of five were banished because he refused to hand over his four-year-old maternal grandson Yash Kumar to his grandmother. Yash’s father Durgashankar Raigar (32) had died in a road accident in 2010 following which his grandmother ousted one-year-old Yash and his mother Rekha Bai out of her home, claiming she was not capable to take care of them.