CHANDIGARH: In Haryana, the khap’s political greed breeds electoral contempt. Khap leaders of the all powerful khap panchayats in Haryana had to bite dust in the recently held Haryana Assembly elections. The 150 odd khaps in the state have drawn flak in the recent years for controversial diktats on the same-gotra (sub-caste) marriages, honour killings and other issues. Besides, they have played a crucial role in resolving the movement launched for Jat reservation.
Sunil Jagnal of the Nogama Khap told the Sunday Standard,” The khap leaders who fought the polls thought that they are popular and will win the polls easily. So did the political parties. But this did not happen. The reason is simple. People didn’t want the khaps to indulge in politics. One khap opposed the leader of the other khap. The votes got divided.” According to a khap leader who spoke on the condition anonymity, people respect the khap leaders and follow their diktat but didn’t vote for them. “People were unhappy about khap leaders joining politics or supporting political parties,’’ he said.
The BJP gave the tickets to two khap leaders eyeing the support and popularity. From Meham in Rohtak, the party gave the ticket to Shamsher Singh Kharkara, the head of Athgama Khap. From Barodain, Sonepat district, the party gave the ticket to Baljit Singh Malik, chief of Gathwala khap. Both lost the polls. Malik even lost his security deposit. Kharkara was second in Meham and lost to Congress’s Anand Singh Dangi. Mahant Satish Dass, who heads a dera in Meham fought on Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) ticket from Meham and lost. He stood third despite his massive following in the area. While INLD had pitched Santosh Dahiya, women wing chief of the Sarv Khap Mahapanchayat, from Beri in Jhajjar district, she finished fourth. Khap leader Ram Kandela contested as an Independent candidate from Jind and lost. He finished sixth and lost his security deposit. He wanted a ticket from Congress but couldn’t get it as he had joined the party just before the polls. He heads the Kandela Khap which has an influence in 24 villages there.
The influential khaps in the state are Nogama, Kandela, Meham Choubasia, Khera, Ghatwal and Satrol. They have considerable influence in Jhajjar, Rohtak, Bahadurgarh, Sonipat, Jind, Hisar, Kaithal, Gurgaon, Bhiwani and Mahendragarh districts. A khap diktat is considered the last word in most areas of the state. There are around 20 main khaps clusters in the state. Khaps of all most all gotras (a khap is council of villages based on gotras —sub caste). This steady role has been the mainstay of political leaders in the state and it is this fear that prohibits leaders from taking on Khaps. The khaps had a sizable vote bank in the state as the Jats in the state have 25 per cent vote bank in the state and they have considerable say in the khaps of the state.