Patna: Previously, it was Haryana. Now, it looks like the eastern Indian state of Bihar too is fast coming in the grip of Khap-like panchayats (village administrative bodies) issuing bizarre diktats to the citizens at regular intervals.
In a fresh development, a village council in Phulwaria village in northern Bihar’s Gopalganj district has imposed a blanket ban on wearing of jeans and use of mobile phones for school and college girls with immediate effect. Phulwaria is the native village of colourful Indian politician and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad.
A decision to this effect was taken at a formal general body meeting of the council held under the chairmanship of local village head Savitri Devi on Monday and supported by Asmina Khatoon, sarpanch (the local legal head). The meeting was attended by the representative of every village falling under the council’s jurisdiction.
Reports said at the outset, the meeting voiced grave concerns over the increasing incidents of eve-teasing, molestation, elopements and rapes, and blamed the growing craze among girls for western fashion as well as use of mobile phones for such unsavoury incidents.
Subsequently, the meeting put a ban on wearing of jeans and use of cell phones by school and college girls which was unanimously supported by everyone present in the meeting.
The meeting also resolved to extensively publicise its decision among the masses by the public address system to ensure everyone follows the order. It also appealed to the parents/guardian not to buy jeans/cell phones for their daughters blaming them for all the ills in society.
“Every now and then, we come across unpleasant incidents involving girls for which cell phones and growing fad for western cultures are solely responsible but now, we hope to curb such things by putting a ban on use of such items by school and college girls,” the local village head Savitri Devi told the media on Tuesday. She added from now on the girls would not be allowed to attend classes in jeans and carrying mobile phones with them.
She also threatened action against the girls who defy the order. “The girls defying the order will not only be expelled from the schools and colleges but also denied all government facilities,” the village head warned. She also appealed to the parents and guardians to strictly implement the order, thus enforcing discipline in society.
In the past week, another village council in Gopalganj district had banned use of jeans and cell phones for schoolgirls.
