A khap panchayat in Baghpat district of Uttar Pradesh has banned children from keeping smartphones or wearing half pants in public places. Instead, boys are advised to wear kurta-pyjamas and girls salwar-kurta.
The panchayat said that boys and girls seen in public places wearing half pants was against social norms, which has a negative impact on society.
Khap leaders said they believe that boys and girls are equal in society and rules of discipline should apply equally to both.
The meeting of Thamba Patti Mehar Deshkhap on Saturday also objected to weddings being held in marriage halls, stating that marriages should be conducted in villages and homes.
Chaudhary Brijpal Singh and Subhash Chaudhary of the khap panchayat shared the decisions taken at the meeting.
RLD's Baghpat MP Rajkumar Sangwan and senior Congress leader Chaudhary Yashpal Singh supported the new khap diktats and said social values and culture must be preserved.
Expressing concern over the increasing use of smartphones, khap leaders said that very few children use phones for educational purposes.
They said most children remain engrossed in their phones, which affects their studies and makes them disobedient towards their elders. Giving smartphones to boys and girls under 18 years of age is not appropriate, they added.
On the new guidelines on clothes, khap leaders said that there was no objection to what people wear within homes but wearing modest and simple clothes in public places is "socially necessary".
Regarding its decisions related to weddings, the panchayat stated that weddings held in marriage halls weaken family ties and create tension in marital relationships. Therefore, weddings should be conducted in villages and homes. It added that wedding invitations sent via WhatsApp were acceptable.
The khap leaders said that to implement the decisions taken in the panchayat, they will visit villages and hold discussions with responsible members of the villages.
They said that efforts will be made to implement the decisions throughout Uttar Pradesh and other khap councils will also be contacted to turn this into a campaign.
Senior Congress leader Chaudhary Yashpal Singh supported the khap panchayat's decisions, saying that they make decisions based on "ground realities" of society, and their objective is to "guide the youth in the right direction".
Yashpal Singh said that discipline and social values are more necessary for youth today than ever before.
"If the khap leaders are taking such decisions to instil unity in society and preserve culture, it will have a positive impact. Both the government and community should work together to keep the youth away from drugs, mobile addiction, and wrong paths," he said.
Baghpat MP Rajkumar Sangwan of RLD, which is part of the ruling NDA, said the concerns of the khap leaders are justified and that social values and culture must be preserved. This, he said, "strengthens the country and community".
Sangwan also said that khap leaders continuously work to connect the youth with values and culture, and their views should be respected.
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