Caste control: The threat of Rajasthan’s caste panchayats

Rinku Chauhan was four years old and her sister Jayshree was two months old when their grandmother and caste elders married them to two brothers in Sukarlai village in Rohat tehsil of Rajasthan. Rinku’s parents, who were not present at the ceremony, refused to accept the marriage. He decided to take up the Panch, a body of elderly men of a caste who decide on many matters.

Due to this rebellion the caste leaders declared social boycott (‘hookah-water bandor blocking shared resources’). It’s been 26 years now. Social ostracism means that no member of their caste, including distant and close relatives, is allowed to interact with the family. The family has not been invited to weddings or death ceremonies all these years. No one in the village has any financial connection with him.

Due to this rebellion, caste leaders announced social boycott (hookah-water bandor blocking shared resources). It’s been 26 years now. Social exclusion means that no member of their caste, including distant and close relatives, is allowed to interact with the family. The family has not been invited to weddings or death ceremonies all these years. No one in the village has any financial connection with him. In between, the family was asked to pay fines ranging from ₹5,000 to ₹2 lakh, for which they eventually had to mortgage their mother’s jewellery. He was also forced to organize banquets for the meetings of Panch leaders. These meetings were held to decide how long the boycott would last. Rinku’s father was regularly called to these meetings and was allegedly humiliated by making him stand apart from the rest of the gathering.

Now 30 years old, Rinku grew up to become a lawyer and about three years ago, she filed a criminal case against the Panchas. She is now fighting this in the Pali district court, where she is a lawyer. She says, “All my life my family would keep me at home because they didn’t want any more trouble because of me. Now, however, my fellow lawyers stand with me.” Across Rajasthan, caste panchayats rule with a strong grip and run extrajudicial courts in districts like Jodhpur Rural, Barmer, Jaisalmer, Jalore, Nagaur, Pali and Banswara. In March 2025, the judiciary stepped in after observing several cases of social boycott by Panch groups. The Jodhpur bench of the Rajasthan High Court ordered the formation of a commission comprising lawyers and civil society members to investigate the case. The commission submitted its report in April 2026, following which the High Court ruled that social boycott and orders by caste panchayats are unconstitutional, violating fundamental rights under Articles 14, 15, 19 and 21.

those who sit in judgment

In her chamber at the Pali district court, Rinku says her family had to leave their native village, where they owned land, and move to Pali, about 20 kilometers away. Here, his father had to work as a factory laborer to support the family of six. “When my grandmother died, no one in the entire family came for the rituals,” she says. Rinku remembers that she once attended a meeting of panchas, where she spoke against the practice of social boycott. “I was fined ₹5,000 for speaking out, because women are not allowed to do so,” she says. In the past few years, following police complaints, two caste leaders were arrested, but, she says, “they were soon released. Inside the court complex, they mocked me, saying I would never be accepted by society.”

Caste Panchayats are also called in India. khap Or Jatiya Panchayats, Punch PatelOr hemp jade (which settle disputes), are informal bodies mostly prevalent in Rajasthan, Haryana and parts of western Uttar Pradesh. They differ from the constitutional Gram Panchayats created under the 73rd Constitutional Amendment (1992), which are elected, democratic bodies serving all villagers, with statutory powers over local governance, development and minor disputes.

Pancha leaders enforce traditional norms by imposing social boycott, heavy fines and other harsh measures against those who deviate from the self-imposed rules of the community. Ultimately, the victim is ostracized from their community and sometimes family. Reasons for ostracism can range from marital discord and marrying outside the caste or subcaste to land disputes and even standing in support of someone who is ostracized.

Take the case of Tulsiram, a former municipal councilor of Pali town, about 100 km from Jodhpur. Tulsiram, a former trade union leader, stood in favor of the daughter of a family friend who was having a long-running matrimonial dispute with her husband. “I thought of her as my daughter, especially since she had lost her father. However, the caste leaders, who were favoring her husband’s family, announced a social boycott of my entire family,” says the former mill worker, sitting in his one-storey house, which he shares with his son’s family.

He says that the caste panchayat had initially imposed the fine, which he says d and (Punishment) ₹1,500 and then demanded ₹2-3 lakh as expenses in organizing their meetings, which saw the participation of around 400-500 leaders of the caste. He says that the scope of boycott was also extended to his daughter’s family, who lived in another village. “He had to pay a fine of ₹2.5 lakh for re-entry Society (community) and end their social exclusion,” he added.

men who put themselves in charge

Traditionally, a khap There were 84 villages under it. However, with the reorganization of villages, each Khap now holds sway over 10 or more villages. Most of these close-knit organizations are organized on a family or hereditary basis. If the leader of a certain caste passes away, the most likely option to replace him is his son or next male heir. “Whoever is rich and powerful can become khap Leader,” says Sanjeev Chaudhary of Megharda village in Beawar district, who has been socially ostracized from his community after filing a police complaint over a land dispute.

Chaudhary, who runs a granite polishing business, says the total fine imposed on him by the caste panchayat has now increased to ₹84 lakh. Despite multiple FIRs and counter-FIRs and contacting senior political leaders, she says there has been no progress and her family remains socially ostracized. He says, “We were not even invited to our elder sister-in-law’s wedding.”

There are designated buildings where meetings of these caste panchayats are held, and some of these organizations also own substantial amounts of land. Money collected from people is supposed to be given to a victim, but is reportedly divided among themselves khap Leader. Social exclusion and punishment orders imposed by these organizations are often written orders listing “offenses” committed and their “punishments”. Some of these are on notarized affidavits.

However, following several FIRs filed recently and court intervention, there has been a change in the way they are written. “Punishment” is now called “honor”. Showing such an order, Chaudhary says, “This has been done to avoid immediate police action.” The panch allegedly also abuses some community norms. For example, under night System, villagers forced to contribute’night (Money)’ for community work or to collectively fight a village-level problem.

But Bhanwari Devi (Bano) of Hapat village in Pali district, whose family was socially ostracized for refusing to accept the child marriage of her two daughters, says she was asked to organize a feast “serving mutton and liquor” for all caste leaders. “I don’t have enough to feed my family. How can I pay for food for all these gatherings?” Bano says.

The need for a targeted law

Ramlal Prajapati has a similar story of social exclusion to tell. Her daughter was married in her community about five years ago, but when she gave birth to a daughter, her in-laws allegedly abused her physically and mentally. He says, “She came back to us, but soon her in-laws started pressurizing her to go back without her child. This was done through the community leaders.” When he refused, the community elders announced a social boycott. The fine for re-entry into the community was fixed at ₹5 lakh. The weak Prajapati, who has a small portion of land which he cultivates, has no money.

The Commission’s report states that despite its devastating impact, no central law exists in India that criminalizes and punishes the concept of social exclusion. “In the absence of a specific law that clearly recognizes social boycott as a punishable offence, investigating agencies face significant difficulty in determining the appropriate legal provisions under which to register and investigate such complaints,” says advocate Shobha Prabhakar, who has been fighting several such cases on behalf of victims, and who was on the commission that recently submitted its report.

This practice is prevalent in any religion. Sheru Khan lives in Bambara village of Jaisalmer district. Khan’s adult daughter married a man of her own caste, but since both had decided to marry each other rather than having their parents arrange the marriage through traditional family negotiations, the Panch was unhappy. chief’Caliphate The traditional social boycott imposed by the ‘(headman)’ is called hand band (Handcuffs) on Khan and his family. In his April order, based on the commission’s report, Justice Farzand Ali ordered the Rajasthan government to formulate a policy with standard operating procedures to curb these actions. He suggested making a law like Maharashtra. The Maharashtra Protection of Persons from Social Boycott (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2016, (implemented in 2017) criminalises social boycott by caste groups, making it the first such law in India. It punishes offenders with imprisonment of up to 7 years, a fine of ₹5 lakh or both.

Advocate Prabhakar has now started ‘Rajasthan Social Boycott Prevention Campaign’ on social media. She says, “The aim of the campaign is to force the government to enact a specific law that criminalizes social exclusion. The law should also include provisions for compensation and rehabilitation of victims.” The campaign addresses the establishment of a strong support mechanism for victims, including a helpline, fast-track courts, psychological counseling and financial assistance. She adds, “The investigation should be completed within 90 days and a senior officer of the rank of Additional SP should monitor all pending cases of social boycott as the nodal officer.” The campaign demands that victims should be provided protection to protect them from community pressure. No arbitrator was ready to speak in favor of this story.

sreeparna.c@thehindu.co.in

Edited by Sunalini Mathew