Khap panchayats organization and functioning a case study of Deswali

Abstract

The union of people belonging to a particular caste, clan or gotra can be defined as Khaps. It may also be described as a body, which is comprised of a group of adjoining or nearby villages of a particular area. The study outlines historical background of the Khap Panchayats, their emergence and entrenchement in the fabric of society. Khaps are active mainly in the Deswali Jat belt of Haryana. They deal with many social issues, such as gotra, kinship exogamy, village exogamy, honour killings. The Khaps Panchayats follow and propagate the concept of bhaichara on gotra, caste or territorial basis. The Khap have evolved over time as an institution responsible for administering social justice on the basis of unity, honour, community and brotherhood. The study is objective and analytical including survey of Jind District. newline