Haryana Khaps Seek Ban on Live-In Relationships and Parental Approval for Love Marriages

Amid honour killings on the rise in northern states, including Haryana, Khaps (social clans) demands that the Centre bring laws in the ongoing Parliament session to ban live-in relationships and make parental assent mandatory in love marriages. They warned the government the government to bring these laws or face protests.

Khaps of Kandela, Majra, Nau Gama, Binain, Kalwa Tapa and Thuwa, among others, have sought laws on both issues. Khap leaders argued if the NDA-led central government doesn’t introduce bills on both issues, opposition parties should take a call in Lok Sabha by raising the voice of social clans.

“We don’t have any issue with a love marriage or court marriage, but parental permission must be sought while solemnising marriages of young couples,” Majra Khap spokesperson Samundar Phour said on Monday, reported the Times of India.

 “It is painful that parents raise a girl till the age of 18 and thereafter she elopes, carrying an Aadhaar card along with her, shattering her parents’ dreams. Therefore, the Centre should bring an act on this issue,” he added.

Majra Khap also demanded a decrease in the age of marriage of girls. “The govt should fix the age for girls’ marriage at 16 years,” Phour said. Gurwinder Singh Sandhu, Majra khap head and coordinator of 24 khap panchayats in Jind district, said live-in relationships have “brought shame to society”.