Alleviation: An International Journal of Nutrition, Gender & Social Development, ISSN 2348-9340
Volume 2, Number 2 (2015) : 1-7
©Arya PG College, Panipat & Business Press India Publication, Delhi
www.aryapgcollege.com, www.apcjournals.com

Role of Khap Panchayats for Ameliorating Social Problems with Special Reference to Female Foeticide inHaryana: An Analysis

1. Dr. Dalbir Singh & 2. Dr. Santosh Hooda
1Associate Professor, Department of Geography, Pt. NRS Govt. College, Rohtak (Haryana), India
2Associate Professor, Department of Home Science, BPSM Girls College, Khanpur Kalan (Haryana), India
E-mail: dlbrhooda@gmail.com

Abstract

The role of Khap Panchyats is appreciated for creating awareness and finding solution for curbing the social problems like dowry system, protecting the rights of the farmers and putting check on female foeticide etc. The present paper throws an adequate light on the various social problems with main focus on female foeticide problem in rural Haryana. Gender discrimination is most prevalent in Indian cultural ethnicity particularly in Haryana. The ratio of girls to boys in India is becoming increasingly skewed in favour of boys, as more and more girls are being selectively aborted as foetuses or killed even after birth. Rural areas show higher preference for sex selective abortions than urban areas. The 2011 census highlighted the adverse sex ratio in Haryana. It is well known that the Indian community is facing social problems such as female foeticide, violence against women, early marriages of girls, dowry and low female literacy levels. This paper is focused on female foeticide in a particular state of India, that is, Haryana. However State government has been introducing policies like Kishori Shakti Yojna, Ladli Laxmi Yojana, Devi Rupak and Beti Bachao Beti Padao. These are the efforts to improve the status of women and the girl children, as well as to reverse the skewed trend.
The Khap Panchayats have been playing a vital role to expedite the movement against the practices of female foeticide which has been proved favorable to develop a positive opinion on this burning issue in rural Haryana. The role of Panchayat by creating awareness among the rural masses through Khap Panchayats may prove a right platform to form a mass opinion at grass-root level in the changing scenario.

Keywords: Female Foeticide, Grass-root Level, Khap Panchayat, Opinion Formation, Social Problem.