Dhani and Villages - Village Judicial System

Village Judicial System

Villages in India have their own judicial system. All disputes pertaining to land, marriages, cattle, loans and social obligations were solved by headmen, sometimes known as sarpanch. This judicial body is made up of five persons who are responsible for maintaining law and order in the village. The panchayat was composed of important men from the village's major castes, who had the power to levy fines and exclude transgressors from village social life. Disputes were decided within the village precincts as much as possible, with infrequent recourse to the police or court system. The Indian government supports an elective panchayat and headman system, which is distinct from the traditional council and headman, and, in many instances, even includes women and very low-caste members. As older systems of authority are challenged, villagers are less reluctant to take disputes to court. The justice was prompt and more practical. The villagers are either having their own field to plow or work as laborers in the field of land owners.The class of exploiters and exploited are eternally there. The disputes are amicably settled and rarely police or courts are approached by villagers.

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