Sep 24, 2026 15:29 pm IST

Opinion | Bihar Assault, Hisar Marriage Ban: Who'll Stop The Guardians Of Indian 'Culture'?

Why exactly does the sight of a young couple seeking a bit of alone time somewhere tends to particularly provoke a certain kind of Indian men?

Shuma Raha Shuma Raha Columnist

This week, a social panchayat in Hisar in Haryana decided that there would be a ban on love marriage in their village. They also declared that people who defy the ban, together with their families, would face a boycott. Apparently, the decision was taken after a few recent instances of young men and women in the village falling in love and getting married. Those who participated in this outrageous move to stifle the civil liberty of young folks said that it was done to “preserve the social fabric” of the village. 

Evidently, the fury against young love not sanctioned by family and society continues unabated. This despite the fact that multiple judgments in the Supreme Court have held all such pronouncements by “khap” gatherings illegal, ruling that they violate Articles 19 and 21 of the Constitution which protect the fundamental rights of individuals, including the right to marry a partner of their choice. 

In the Haryana village, a person was quoted as saying, “We consider every girl in the village our own daughter.” In other words, the noxious effort to prohibit love marriages is really all about the community's visceral need to........

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