Punjab Village To Boycott Couples Who Marry For Love

Marrying the one you love has been forbidden in a Punjab village. The order was passed in the Chankoian Khurd village in Doraha, Ludhiana, after a couple who from the same village eloped and got married.

The resolution states that any such couple in the village will be boycotted. Shopkeepers and local traders have been warned to not do any business with such couples. In fact, any other couple or villager who goes against the resolution will also be boycotted.

This means that anyone, who supports the idea of a love marriage or is willing to engage in one, will have to struggle for the basic daily needs

Also read: Interfaith Marriages Not Love Jihad: Kerala HC

Diktat not opposed

Ironically, not many villagers opposed the decision. They supposedly believe that the past incidents of love marriage have brought a bad name to the village.

The resolution was unanimously passed on April 29 by the members of the gram panchayat, local gurdwara committee and village sports clubs.

The village headman, Hakam Singh, argued that the resolution does not violate Supreme Court's orders since the villagers haven’t harmed anyone. He further said the decision has been collectively taken by the villagers.

Also read : MP: Tribal Mahapanchayat Bans Mobile Phones For Women

The last time we heard of such ridiculous diktats was when a village in Rohtak banned girls from using mobile phones and wearing jeans. The bizarre logic was that girls would easily elope with boys with the help of smartphones. They also thought that jeans would attract the opposite gender.

It’s 2018 and ours is a democratic nation. When are we going to get rid of the unconstitutional rule of Khap panchayats who ensure that we don’t go about our life the way we want to? Two consenting adults can love and marry whoever they want

In this case, however, legal experts say that the resolution does not have any legal ground. It is indeed a violation of the ‘Right to life’. The law guarantees it as a fundamental right. Moreover, the couple can ask for police protection to ensure that they're safe.

Also read : Will SC’s Strict Words Help Curb Khap Interference?

Malvika Bansal is an intern with SheThePeople.Tv