No third child after the birth of two daughters and only Re. 1 to be taken by the groom as dowry from a girl’s family. These were among a host of rulings given out by a Khap Panchayat here to discourage the practices of female foeticide and dowry.
In an announcement which comes as a breath of fresh air, as khaps are infamous for issuing orthodox diktats, Bura Khap’s head Rajbir Bura said its members at a meeting held here on Sunday have decided to felicitate couples who do not have a third child after the birth of two daughters and those who took no or only Re. 1 as dowry from the bride’s family.
The Khap has also limited the members in the bridegroom’s wedding procession to 21. “The decision was much-needed as too many people in a ‘baraat’ puts unnecessary financial burden on the bride’s family,” the Khap head said.
Mr. Bura said a decision to shorten the mourning period after death in the family from 13 to seven days was also taken. “It was decided to end the old practice of not having wheat flour, pulses and ghee during the mourning period.” — PTI
