What is "khap"

Khap is an organization representing a clan or a group of related clans in northern India. Khaps are found mainly among the Jats of Western Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, although historically the term has been used among other communities as well. A khap panchayat is an assembly of Khap elders. A Sarv Khap (literally all Khaps) meeting involves an assembly of many Khaps.

A khap is a community organization unaffiliated with the formally elected government bodies. A Khap Panchayat is concerned with the affairs of the Khap it represents. It is not affiliated with the democratically elected local assemblies that are also termed Panchayat. A khap panchayat has no official government recognition or authority, but can exert significant social influence within the community they represent. Baliyan Khap, famous by the panchayats lead late farmer leader Mahendra Singh Tikait, is among the most influential Khaps.

Khap is a 2011 Hindi film starring Yuvika Chaudhary, Om Puri, Govind Namdeo, Manoj Pahwa, Mohnish Bahl. Directed by Ajai Sinha, the film is a socio-political drama based on the Manoj-Babli honour killing case and Khap Panchayats in villages of Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, which order honour killing to prevent marriages within the same gotra.