Khap reservations on marriage Bill

Deepender Deswal

Tribune News Service

Jind, December 23

A khap panchayat has expressed its reservation over the Centre government’s decision to increase the age of marriage for girls in the country. The meeting resolved that a memorandum will be submitted to the Centre in this regard soon.

No bar on marriage with consent

If marriage of a girl above 18 years is solemnised with the consent of her family and society, there should be no legal restriction on it. — Khap Leaders

Khap panchayat leaders while addressing the meeting said that they were not opposed to raising the legal age of marriage to 21 years from the existing 18 years. But, they demanded that there should be no bar on marriage above 18 years

for society.

“If marriage of a girl above 18 years is solemnised with the consent of her family and society, there should be no legal restriction on it,” said khap leaders.

The khap panchayat has adopted two resolutions, which include seeking the age limit of 18 years for marriage of girls with the consent of family and amendment in the Hindu Marriage Act to ban same gotra and same village marriages, which are a societal norm in Haryana.

Devvrat Dhanda, a khap panchayat spokesperson, said they would take up the matter with khap panchayats of western UP, Rajasthan, Delhi, Haryana and the Centre government.

Charkhi Dadri Independent MLA Sombir Sangwan, who is also pradhan of Sangwan khap, said, “It is good that girls are pursuing higher studies, but sometimes families have to marry them under pressing circumstances. There should not be a legal restriction on marrying girls at the age of 18 with the consent of family. However, in case of court marriage, the age limit can be raised to 21.”

They want to build a better society and contribute in this direction, he added.

“We have decided to form a committee of khap panchayat representatives, which will take up the issue with the Centre government. We will also discuss the matter in a panchayat scheduled to be held in Bhiwani’s Kitlana village on January 2,” he said.