15 - Khap Panchayat, Honour Killings and Gender Relations in Western India

Summary

This chapter explains khap panchayat as a traditional patriarchal institution in odd with the changing values, norms, lifestyle and outlook of the new generation, resulting in latent and manifest intergenerational tensions. As a traditional institution, it is struggling to retain its source of authority amidst its declining social role and emergence of modern institutions of authority and power. As a desperate move to maintain its authority as a patriarchal social institution, it is resorting to reprehensible practises like social boycott, expulsion from the village and honour killing and bypassing (defying) the established institutions of law and justice.

The reprehensible practices of the khap panchayats have often been seen in the context of maintaining the caste endogamy and gotra (clan) exogamy, the two fundamental norms of establishing marital relations in north Indian society. This also involves the issue of women and gender relations, as more often women are subject to the violence and punishment and are considered the custodians of honour and prestige of the caste, gotra and family. This necessitates examination of gender relations in society where such institutions are still able to command social obedience.

The skewed sex ratio is another peculiar problem of north-western Indian society where the khap panchayat is an influential social institution, although the link between the two is weak and ambiguous. Nevertheless, the skewed sex ratio has thrown new social challenges.