Farmers Movement Archive

Khaps to spread word on new farm laws in western UP villages

Ghaziabad: Apart from lending support to farmers’ demands, the representatives of various khap panchayats who arrived at UP Gate on Thursday said that they will take up a “jan jagran abhiyan” (public awareness drive) to spread word about issues related to the three new farm laws, over which thousands of farmers have been protesting for about 22 days.The khaps traditionally have a stronghold in villages and have a say in resolution of many disputes before they reach the police or the administration. The representatives of about ten different khaps on Thursday held a Sarv Khap Mahapanchayat at UP Gate which is one of the major protest sites in the ongoing farmers’ agitation related to the new farm laws. “We will conduct a jan andolan abhiyan in villages of western UP and will also make farmers aware about the issues with the three farm laws,” said Dharambir Singh, representative of Deswal Khap. Sudhir Chaudhary, who at UP Gate on Thursday represented the Talan Khap, echoed similar sentiments while referring to the recent call of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to hold “Kisan Sammelans” for creating awareness in villages about the benefits of the three farm laws. “If they conduct panchayats about the three farm laws, we will also hold panchayats and tell people about the repercussions of the farm laws,” he said. Rajbir Singh, state vice president of the Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) said that the ongoing farmers’ agitation will benefit them as the khaps hold a lot of influence in villages. “It is a long tradition that villagers pay attention and abide by the decision of khaps leaders. Thursday’s ‘sarv khap panchayat’ was also held to give a message that farmers will not budge by any divisive narratives floating around and will stand together. Besides, the khaps will spread awareness among villagers about the problems with the new farm laws. I am a member of the Khutail khap which has influence over 384 villages in Agra, Mathura and Bharatpur,” he said. The khaps are purely social entities and their directions have no legal sanctity. However, some khaps in the country are known for rolling out bizarre diktats. There have been instances of Khaps allegedly banning women from wearing jeans and using mobile phones and the internet. In earlier instances, some khaps had allegedly banned love-marriages and marriages in the same “gotra” and vowed to punish those who married without their family’s consent. “It could be someone’s personal decision and khaps don’t give such directions. But yes, they try to preserve cultural identity. Khaps have a history of about 1,200 years and provide strength to the society. They were formed by villagers who fought the invaders. Many khap villagers from western UP also laid down their lives during the freedom struggle,” said Rakesh Tikait, leader and national spokesperson of the BKU. Chaudhay said that the society includes a person and also families. “If someone wants to get rid of us, they will show fear of khaps. So, a lot of rumours were spread about khaps,” he added. Virendra Singh, another Khap member, said that even though times are changing, the younger generation “still has respect for our decisions. The khaps try to preserve traditions and culture.”

Hindustan Times

18-12-2020

Noida