Kadva Patels forge alliances outside state

Though this may sound progressive,it is also an indicator of the skewed sex-ratio in one of the state’s influential Patel communities. The Kadvas have just 85 girls for every 100 boys — a skewed sex ratio 100:85 — lower than the state average of 100: 92.

To improve the sex-ratio,the community is now asking members to take vow in the temple of Umiya Mata,their presiding deity,not to resort to female foeticide.

Though politically influential and with a strong NRI presence,the community is conservative in its caste tie-ups and has not warmed up to inter-community marriages. The Kadva Patels do not marry in other Patel sub-castes within Gujarat or with other Hindu castes,unlike the other Patel sub-caste — the Leuva Patels. The community leaders are now approaching their counterparts in other states for matrimonial alliances.

Keshah Sheth,the head of the sect’s main temple at Unjha and Jairam Vansjalia from Sidsar temple have been on a tour to establish tie-ups with the Kurmis of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar; Patidars of Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan; and Patils of Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh. The Kadva Patels claim their lineage to the Kards,who migrated to Punjab from Afghanistan some 2,000 years ago and fanned out across the Sub-continent,adopting local culture and language.

Earlier on Tuesday,community members led by Sheth laid the foundation stone of the Umiya Mata temple at Kalehar in UP. Some 10,000 people attended the function,where the main agenda was to initiate roti-beti vyavhar (marriage ties) with the Patidars of UP.

Kantibhai Ghetia,a BJP councillor from Rajkot and a Kadva Patel leader from Saurashtra,said: “Skewed sex-ratio is the biggest social problem our community is facing. Thanks to our past mistake of female foeticide,there are less number of young girls compared to boys. The result: rich families get the match for their boys,but middle and lower class people are at the receiving end.”

In Gujarat,the Kadva Patels number around 1.5 crore with the population concentrated in districts like Mehsana,Kutch,Rajkot and Jamnagar.

According to Ghetia,around 40 per cent Kadva Patels belong to the middle and lower income groups. A few years ago,the Patidars began the ‘Save the Girl Child’ project from the Unjha temple.

Community leaders say marriage with girls of the community sub-caste from other states serve two purposes: the Kadva Patel boys get eligible girls,while for the girls’ families,it is a dowry-free marriage. Unemployment and dowry has made marriage a distance dream for middle class girls from UP,Bihar and elsewhere.

Sonali’s uncle Vithalrai said: “We would not have been able to marry off our girl for a dowry less than Rs 1 lakh back home,but here this was a dowry-free marriage.” Sonali had lost her father as a child and her mother could not afford a dowry,Vithalrai said.

He said the fact that community leaders take the initiative for the matrimonial alliance makes things much comfortable for the bride’s family. “Ghetia invited us to stay at his home so that we could know Kaneria and vice-versa. Only after we found that our girl will have a good future here,did both families agree to the marriage,” Vithalrai said.

Niraj’s father Chandubhai said: “The only challenge we now face is overcoming the cultural differences. With community leaders involved in the affair,we were rest assured that we won’t be cheated.”