Barbarianism by the Khaps

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Barbarianism By The Khaps -Ashwin R Maharaj 20110099 Section C “When we think of India it is hard not to think of caste. In comparative sociology and in common parlance, caste has become central trope for India, metonymically indexing it as fundamentally different from other places, synecdochically expressing its essence,” writes B Nicholas Dirks in Castes of Mind Theories of caste are not only about society but about politics and history as well. Weber, Marx, Henry Maine, and now Louis Dumont have all held that in India, in marked contrast to China, the state was epiphenomenal. Caste, not the state, held society-with its constituent village republics and communities- together. In a more general sense, caste is seen as the foundation and core of Indian civilization; it is responsible for the transmission and reproduction of society in India. And caste, like India itself, has been seen as based on religious rather than political principles. This paper is broadly divided into 4 parts. The first part introduces the reader to the Khap or Caste Panchayats prevalent in the country. The second part talks about how the present Khap Panchayats are dominated by individuals from the the dominant caste of the village. The third section includes a case study of Caste Panchayats in Haryana. The final part of the paper presents the Bill drafted by the Law Commission of India against these Caste Panchayats and also includes opinions of honourable Judges. Khap or Caste Panchayat system has existed for quite a long time. This is a system of social administration which is prevalent almost throughout the country, but it is more active in the villages of the states like Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab and a unit of Khap takes care of the social affairs of almost
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