Parallel panchayat system exists: Ram Shinde

Minister of state for home Ram Shinde on Wednesday admitted in the Legislative Council that the system of jat (community) panchayat is actually running a parallel system in the state and were following a number of illegal and cruel practices.

The minister said the draft of the Maharashtra Prohibition of Social Boycott Bill was aimed at stopping illegal practices by such panchayats.

Informing the House about the menace of jat panchayats, Mr Shinde said, “In the last five years, 68 criminal cases were registered in the state in connection with atrocities committed through jat panchayat proceedings. Such practices are more prevalent in Raigad district where 46 cases were registered and over 600 persons have been arrested in the last five years.”

The issue was raised in the House by Shiv Sena MLC Neelam Gorhe who said there are 41 evil practices followed by various communities. She said that such practices include social boycott, examination of a girl’s virginity, among others. She also pointed out a case in which a panchayat paraded a family on donkey and in another case asked a daughter-in-law of a man to spend a few nights with the members of a panchayat as punishment.

NCP legislator Vidya Chavan also supported Ms Gorhe and said that usually women are at the receiving end of such evil practices.

“The police takes appropriate action as per the existing laws whenever such incidents are reported. We will table the Prohibition of Social Boycott Bill soon. The draft of this bill is in the final stages,” Mr Shinde said.

He also accepted the suggestions made by Ms Gorhe and Ms Chavan to consult organisations working to eradicate superstitious practices regarding the bill draft.

Surprisingly, Congress legislator Haribhau Rathod opposed the proposed bill. He said that he would vehemently oppose any law which tries to “destroy thousand of years-old tradition of the jat panchayat”.

“I am also against evil practices. But jat panchayats play important role among nomadic tribes. They resolve many small disputes, including domestic fights. They have a tradition of more than 1,000 years. The government should try not to destroy this age-old system,” said Mr Rathod.