Families punished for love marriages: MP village bars milk, barber services, farmland, social events in shocking boycott

INDORE: In a defiance of constitutional rights, a village panchayat in the Piploda tehsil of Ratlam has issued a diktat calling for the total social and economic boycott of families whose children opt for love marriages.

The decision in Panchewa village comes after eight young men and women reportedly eloped to get married over the past six months.

The decision was finalized during a meeting of village elders and locals held three days ago.

In videos that have since gone viral, a man is seen reading from a register, listing stringent points of the boycott to a large gathering of villagers.

The village council has imposed the following sanctions on offending families:

1. Essential Services Cut: Barbers (Nais) and priests (Pandits) are forbidden from serving these families.
2. Economic Blockade: No villager is allowed to buy milk or other goods from them. Furthermore, their farmland cannot be taken on lease by anyone in the village.
3. Social Isolation: The families will not be invited to any social or religious events.
4. Secondary Boycott: Anyone found helping the couple, acting as a witness to the marriage, or providing shelter to them will also face immediate social expulsion.

Local residents defended the harsh measures, claiming they were necessary to deter other youths. "In just six months, eight youngsters have run away. It is having a bad influence on our children," a villager stated.

However, the decree has sparked significant anger among the families whose names were publicly called out during the meeting. These families are now reportedly planning to approach the Ratlam Collector to seek protection and file a formal complaint against the unconstitutional move.

Following the circulation of the videos, Jaora SDM Sunil Jaiswal dispatched Piploda Janpad CEO Brahma Swarup Hans to the village on Sunday evening to talk to the locals.

"The boycott of any family for the reason of love marriage is completely illegal. We have been in contact with the villagers, explaining the law to them and urging them to maintain harmony. Our efforts are to ensure peace and to make certain that no injustice is done to any person" Jaiswal told TOI.

Legal experts have pointed out that such "Khap-style" diktats are a direct violation of the fundamental rights guaranteed by the Indian Constitution, including the right to life and liberty and the right to choose a life partner.

Administrative officials have confirmed that they are reviewing the video footage to identify the primary instigators and will take action based on the findings.