Dausa (Rajasthan): Meena tribe in Nangal Pyariwas of the Dausa district has constructed a grand Advasi Meena Sewa Sangh, a family court that runs parallel to the mainstream judicial system and aims to solve the issues the tribe and its members face.
The establishment of this tribal court can be credited to Kirodi Lal Meena, the present member of the Rajya Sabha. The court is located on Lalsot Road in Pyarivas. It has been constructed using the funds collected in the form of donations from community leaders and other donors. Earlier, the people of Meena community used to take any decision by gathering at one place in the fields of Nangal Pyarivas.
They used to gather at one place and after hours of discussion, a unanimous decision was taken on any issue. Gradually with changing times, people instead of gathering in the fields under a tent started working on the construction of a permanent place leading to today's Meena 'Court', which apart from being a place of seeking justice, has also become a tourist destination.
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The Meena 'Court' is headed by the village sarpanch with the people of the tribe also participating in decision-making by offering suggestions. The Chudiawas case marked the revolt for a Court in Nangal Pyariwas. According to local people, on July 16, 1993, a married woman, Prem Devi, along with her mother Amri Devi and her lover Chacha Ghasi, killed her husband Bhagwanaram and threw the body in the field.
An FIR of this incident was registered under Section 302 of the Indian Penal Code at Nangal Rajawatan Police Station. Dissatisfied with the action of the police, the people of the society organised a Khap Panchayat at Premadevi's in-laws' place Teetarwada where she accepted the murder charges. A Maha Panchayat of 11 villages was held in Chudiawas village on August 24, 1993, regarding this case.
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According to the decision of the panchayat, both were stripped and brought to Nangal Rajawatan from Chudiawas village on foot. Meanwhile, Nangal Rajawatan Police Station registered a case against this decision and arrested eight Panchs near the Jhilmil river of Pyarivas. People believe that the verdict passed by the panchayat was not legally correct, but in those times, it was common for panchayats to pass such verdicts.
Due to this thought and tradition, the people of the area were outraged by the arrest of the Panchs. Some people also filed a bail petition in court, but the court rejected the bail. After this, Dr Kirodi Lal, a prominent leader of Eastern Rajasthan, took charge of the conflict. Enraged local people set Nangal Rajawatan police station on fire and freed all the eight Panchs from the police. After this, again a case was registered and from thereon it came to be known as Meena 'Court' in Khap Panchayat area.
