Khap Panchayat or Honor Killing

Khap is a word which, in general terms, describes a group. Khap Panchayat is a cluster of villages which are united by caste and geography. It is a system of administration and organization in the northwestern states of India such as Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. It was started in 14^th century by upper caste jaats to consolidate their power and position. Terms such as Pal, Gansangha, janapada or republics are alternative terms used.

Khap Panchayat governs the khap formed by same gotra (clan) families from several neighboring villages. All the boys and girls are considered siblings within a khap, so those living in a khap are not allowed to marry in the same gotra or even in any gotra from the same village. Love marriages are considered taboo in these areas. In order to protect the culture of khap, older villagers try to keep young people apart. Some schools are forced to have separate timings for the boys and girls. Many parents fear that their daughters would go astray, so they marry them off at a very early age. It is acceptable for the families to feed pesticide pills to the teenage girls and then dispose off their bodies by burning them without any police records. The entire onus of siblinghood rests on the girl. She is the keeper of village honor. Sometimes rules are bent for the boys but a girl is never allowed to bend the rules. The question of rights for women does not exist here.

Khap Panchayat imposes its writ through social boycotts and fines and in most cases end up either killing or forcing the victims to commit suicide. Many young couples have been killed in the past defying khap rules. But still people have unquestionable faith in the justice of khap. All this is done in the name of brotherhood and its honor. Due to the same reason it is also called as Honor Killing. 

Today Khap Panchayat of Bagpat district of Uttar Pradesh issued a Taliban-style diktat for women. Now, in that district and near by villages, women cannot move out of their houses without covering their face. Women are not allowed to go to markets even to buy household products. Women cannot use mobile phone, not even in their homes. Those who are found violating these self-styled code of conduct will be punished severely. 
The thing which amused me is that women are supporting all these things. They have been told that all these steps are necessary to protect women from eve teasing.