UP Khap diktats ban western clothing for boys and girls

In a meeting, the Khap heads took the decision to deliberate upon a fresh reservation pattern of seats in village Panchayats by the state government ahead of the panchayat polls due in April-May.

Although, the agenda of the meeting deviated and turned towards social and cultural practices penetrating the society at large.

Expressing annoyance over the issues related to changing lifestyles of youths at the village level, the majority of Khap members, took affront of the fact that the village youth-both grown-ups and boys are seen taking bath in open wearing half pants, whereas girls and women wear jeans, pants, skirts, and T-shirts.

Pointing out the western dresses, Thakur Puran Singh, President, Kshatriya Khap Panchayat, ” These western dresses are not allowed in our society. Our traditional dresses are sarees, ghagra, salwar-kameez for girls and women and pant shirts, dhoti-kurta for boys and men.”

Informing that the panchayat had decided to ban western dresses with immediate effect, Singh added that he asked the Rajputs to boycott those girl schools where skirts or pants-top were part of the uniform.

He cautioned that anyone violating the panchayat diktat will be ostracized from their society.

The Khaps asserted that the government was reshuffling the reserved seats and that the Khap body would boycott the rural polls next month. It even hinted at boycotting the 2022 Assembly polls, however, the Khap heads said that the final decision regarding the same would be taken in the next morning.