Girls should not use mobiles: Raj caste leaders

After the khap panchayats of Haryana, the caste leaders of Rajasthan have trained their guns on girls carrying cellphones. Covering faces with scarves is also being frowned upon.

The decisions are not binding, but so far, there has been no complaint about it either.

The conclusions of the multi-caste meeting - held at Bhandarez village of Dausa district, 60 km from Jaipur - stemmed from a recent case of elopement.

"The use of cellphones is helping youngsters go astray. Girls possessing mobile phones are easily connected and approachable. This freedom creates unnecessary problems for the family," said Durga Lal Saini, sarpanch of Bhandarez. Thereafter, covering faces with scarves hinders identification of the couple, they concluded.

Dausa district police have already banned scarves for two-wheeler riders as it "hinders identification of crime suspects". In October, the police issued hundreds of challans to men caught wearing scarves.

The caste panchayat has, however, provided some relief, saying their decision was merely the common opinion of the gathering and was not binding on anyone. "A family can allow its girls to use cellphones if it so wishes, but we hope everybody would welcome the decision," said Saini.

Chairperson of state women's commission, Lad Kumari Jain, condemned the caste panchayat's decision. "We will examine the decision and take appropriate action," she said.

On October 26, a woman from Bhandarez village had eloped with a man from another caste. The woman, a teacher, is a member of the Other Backward Castes.