Gotra Based System Essay

Khap by the term means a clan or a group of related clans is an informal group of each gotra in the Jat community of North India mostly in Haryana and parts of Western Uttar Pradesh which determines the customs, practices and religious norms for its specific gotra. The people of a certain gotra elects its headman whose decisions are deemed to be binding on the people of the clan. Such type of gotra based system is not new to the Indian society and can find its relevance in various parts of the country such as Munda and Gond tribes of central and eastern India. The gotra based system is a product of that tribal age when human society was in its primitive stage. At that point of time the society was divided on the bases of ‘Kul’ which have also

The position and importance also increased during the period of colonial rule in the country where the members of the community were elected as Zaildars and Nambardars and most of these were largely supported by the Khap Panchayat present in that region. After the independence, there was no radical change in the situations. Moreover, after the green revolution and introduction of new technology and methods of farming the economic hold of these Khaps increased exponentially because of huge amount of income generated. In 1991, after the policies of liberalization and globalisation, the government introduced the policy of ‘Special Economic Zones’ in the name of second generation reforms which led to the flourishing of the real estate speculation near the NCR and other parts of the state occupied by the landlords and Khaps, hence further increasing their powers both economically and politically. The institution of Khap is headed by Sarv-Khap which by its name signifies a Panchayat of all the Khaps of the