The past week has been full of the usual bashing of Congress MP Navin Jindal for supporting the view of the khap panchayats against same gotra marriages. The critics have said Jindal rightfully belongs in the 19th century; the Congress high command has censured him; and the man himself has gone on the defensive, arguing that he was not endorsing the khap’s point of view but was merely bringing it forward.
Shame on Jindal for being so cowardly. If he didn’t endorse the khap panchayats’ view, he should have been campaigning among the people to explain what was wrong with the view; and that it was also illegal since the courts have pronounced that same gotra marriages were legal. Jindal’s stance is that of a quintessential politician: Play along such politics when it suits you, and when it turns on you, claim that it was your job to help the public air their views.
But the larger blame cannot lie with Jindal. If he has felt emboldened to endorse or put forward the khap panchayats’ view, it is because of the manner in which castes and sub-castes have become an acceptable part of the country’s political fabric. If the government wants to carry on with reservations on the basis of castes and even order a census of castes, it is obvious that caste and gotra are a winning ticket. So, why blame just Jindal? Indeed, the volte face on a caste-based census was reportedly done after Sonia Gandhi weighed in its favour, thereby fulfilling the demand of the Yadav duo — Lalu Prasad and Mulayam Singh Yadav. It would be interesting to see what the government will do if the census shows there are more OBCs. Will it hike the quotas? How can it do this since the Supreme Court has put a ceiling to all quotas?
Jindal would be foolish not to endorse the khap’s point of view given this situation. The government and various political parties need to introspect on this. Please keep in mind that not too many political parties have come forward to condemn the khap point of view in any serious manner — a small statement here and there doesn’t really count. Everyone wants votes.
Salil Gupta, New Delhi
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