Now it seems the modus-operandi of Khap Panchayat active in states like Haryana and Rajasthan has reached to the district of Kishanganj in Bihar. In first of its kind such judgment the village panchayat of Sunderbari village in Kochadhaman block has prohibited women from using mobile phones and imposed heavy fines on them if they violated the diktat.
A fine of Rs.10,000 will be imposed if a girl is found using a mobile phone, while a married woman will have to pay a fine of Rs.2,000 if found talking on a mobile outside her house. As per sources the decision was taken in a meeting attended by panchayat members and village elders. The villagers, mostly elders have favoured imposing the ban. A member of the panchayat who is in favour of the ban said that “mobile phone is the cause of all evils in our society, including increasing love affairs and the incidents of elopement.”
The decision has surprised many as such type of ban is hardly noticed in the state of Bihar. However, banning the technology is not the permanent solution, rather the panchayat would have guided the elders to provide moral education to their children. Banning is not going to provide a permanent solution to the issues that are coming into notice frequently. If the panchayat makes the education for girl child mandatory for all it would be welcomed by all.
