Bettiah: Even though many places in Bihar are notorious for criminal activities, this village is an exception of sorts as it is peaceful and deprives the police of any action. It is none other than the Katraw village in West Champaran district where no FIR has been lodged in a police station nor has any case related to this village ever been registered in a local court since Independence.
Actually, Katraw is located 285 km from Patna. It has about 1,500 people from various communities, like Tharu, Muslim, Mushar, and Dhangar. Its jurisdiction is patrolled by the Sahodara police station. The officers here have not registered more than a single case since India became independent in 1947. The peace perhaps dawns upon the hamlet due to its ingrained judicial setup called the Gomastha Vyavastha, which was born in the early 1950s. The system was the brainchild of Bihar's first chief minister Krishna Sinha.
A Gomastha is essentially a patriarchal judicial authority - passed down from father to son - who delivers amicable solutions to the minor disputes that may arise in Katraw. A Gomastha may even penalize a person guilty of initiating a clash. Katraw, which has elected representatives in the panchayat system, seems to have unflinching faith in its Gomasthas.
The village, to date, has followed the verdicts delivered by the Gomasthas. Its testimony lies in the fact that the law and order have prevailed here for 75 years since India became independent. Talking about it, Manisha, a resident of Katraw, says that ''till date, not a single case has been registered in our village. When there is a dispute, it would be resolved immediately. If everyone stays together like this, then the picture of the country will change.''
Concurring her view, Priyaratna said, ''We live peacefully in our village. We appeal to others to follow suit and adopt the Gomasthas system. Actually, Gomasthas offer amicable solutions to petty disputes and it is respected even today. Apart from resolving disputes, they also pass judgment on punishments, if anyone is found guilty.
"Despite having elected representatives in the panchayat system, we have unwavering faith in its Gomasthas. The village, to date, follows the decisions given by the Gomasthas. This is the reason why law and order have been well maintained for 75 years," added Priyaratna.
Meanwhile, the court of a Gomastha bears an anachronistic, antiquated look - the villagers sit under a tree or a community hall and pronounce justice after hearing the warring sides.
"The population of Tharu counts high in the village. These people do not go to Mukhiya or Sarpanch for any dispute. In case of dispute in the village, a meeting is held under the supervision of Gomastha. Villagers sit under a tree or in a community hall and judge after hearing both sides. The decision taken is valid for all. Most of the cases are handled by Gomastha only. Its biggest feature is that women settle matters related to women," says Vinay Kumar Gaurav, Gomastha, Katraw village.
For instance, in July 2020 Mukesh Kumar was asked to pay a penalty of Rs 5,000 for slapping his sister-in-law. The Gomastha also demanded a written apology saying that Kumar's actions had brought "disgrace to the women in a civilized society". A similar punishment was meted out to Chandrika Mahato and Visheshwar Mahato after they got into an altercation in broad daylight. Chandrika was angered after Visheshwar's goats had grazed on her land.
The dispute culminated in an invitation into the Gomastha's court, which charged each of them a fine of Rs 500 for "debilitating the social order". The Gomastha also directed Visheshwar to pay Rs 300 to Chandrika as compensation. An individual, who does not follow Gomastha's verdict, is excommunicated by others. The fine collected from the directives is spent on marriages in the village or other social obligations.
Giving his perspective on a crime-free village, Upendra Nath Verma, Superintendent of Police (SP), Bettiah said, ''Katraw is a village where the lifestyle and culture are such that there is no dispute. If there is a dispute, it is resolved by the social organization Gomastha Vyavastha. The people there are peace-loving and stay away from controversies. To the best of our knowledge, no complaint has been registered from Katraw. The people of this village have set an example for others that how we can live in peace," he concludes.
