Shimla: In an era when social reform is often expected to flow from legislation or govt policies, Toru village in Paonta Sahib tehsil of Sirmaur district in Himachal Pradesh has offered a striking counter to expensive and burdensome traditions.On Jan 11, natives of this village in Toru Danda Anj panchayat collectively chose to reform a range of entrenched social practices voluntarily by restricting extravagant marriage feasts, abolishing obligatory gifts to women, restricting loud DJ events, minimising animal sacrifice, completely banning liquor use at weddings, and prohibiting its sale within village limits, besides reshaping mourning rituals to protect privacy and emotional dignity.This Rajput-dominated village of about 70 households and a population nearly 800, located 25km from Paonta Sahib, unanimously adopted a resolution to confront customs long shielded by the label of tradition, which came to impose economic strain, social inequality, and moral dilemmas on the community. “Whoever violates these rules will be boycotted by the village community,” the resolution signed by 76 villagers said.“In our society, marriage has become a very costly affair now, burdening families with expenses of at least Rs 20 lakh as they struggle to satisfy societal expectations despite limited financial resources,” Shoorvir Tomar, president of Yuvak Mandal Toru, told TOI. In the past, certain marriages in this village saw liquor expenses crossing even Rs 2 lakh, apart from the sacrifice of at least five goats.Now, the villagers have restricted marriage feasts and “paltoz” parties to immediate family members, relatives and key village representatives.
Animal sacrifice was discontinued during daytime ceremonies, and DJ events were strictly limited to a single day during marriage. One of the key decisions was the redefinition of the ‘Dashuthan’ ceremony, which was restricted to the birth of the first child, while recognising sons and daughters equally.
In the past, a ritual involving the sacrifice of a goat was performed to celebrate the birth of each son in the family.This reform has strong backing from K S Tomar, former chairman of the Himachal Pradesh Public Service Commission and national columnist, who has roots in this nearly 100% literate village. Asked about the implementation of this resolution in letter and spirit, he underlined that formalising decisions in a written social charter, conducting periodic reviews during the gram sabha, and assigning custodial responsibilities to the youth effectively mitigated these risks.
He believed that Toru’s grassroots reform message had the potential to travel beyond local boundaries into wider social and policy debates. MSID:: 126505107 413 |
