Hypocrisy in Indian Society: The Paradox of Values and Economic Opportunism

Indian society, particularly in Haryana, reveals a stark paradox: traditions remain rigid, yet values are routinely discarded when economic incentives appear. Widows remarried through Karewa still claim widow pensions; housewives falsely receive unemployment benefits; and caste identity is manipulated for jobs, subsidies, and elections. Haryana, despite being among India’s richest states, continues to be bound by Khap diktats and caste politics, where prosperity has reinforced feudal mindsets instead of eroding them. From Devi Lal’s Jat mobilization to BJP’s non-Jat arithmetic, politics thrives on hypocrisy. The state exemplifies how economic growth without social reform deepens contradictions rather than resolving them.

Indian society is as variegated as the land itself. Here, diametrically opposite traditions coexist—sometimes within the same family, the same street, or the same village. Customs and conventions that should have waned under the pressures of modernity continue to flourish, often reshaped by economic compulsions. What emerges is a paradoxical social order: rigidly stratified on cultural and caste lines, yet strikingly opportunistic when it comes to exploiting economic benefits.

The hypocrisy is glaring. People cling to traditions when it suits them, but discard values the moment personal gain is in sight.

Contradictions of Tradition and Modernity

Historically, India’s social stratification has been horizontal—fixed castes and communities, each confined within its prescribed role—rather than vertical, based on merit or mobility. Economic reforms, migration, and urbanization promised to break these shackles, but in reality, caste and social identity remain far more decisive than merit or values.

Even among economically well-off strata, hypocrisy prevails. On one hand, urban elites denounce “backward rural practices,” but on the other, they manipulate caste identity to secure quotas in education or jobs. Villages, meanwhile, are still governed by Khap panchayats that impose medieval taboos on marriage, gender roles, and “honour,” yet these same leaders do not hesitate to bypass rules when economic incentives come into play.

Instances of Hypocrisy in Practice

Widowhood as a Tool for Economic Gain

Two incidents bring this contradiction into sharp relief.

A married woman, forehead marked with sindoor, went to a notary to declare herself a widow for the purpose of securing a pension. Her new husband himself compelled her into this lie, overriding her shame and hesitation.

Housewives, who never sought jobs, have been enrolled for unemployment allowances. Their husbands—who forbid them from working—prepare the paperwork to siphon benefits meant for the truly unemployed.

In Haryana, over 40,000 ineligible people were found availing social security pensions in a 2021 verification drive, many through false widow or BPL claims.

The Anganwadi Worker Case in Hansi

During my tenure as Tehsildar in Hansi (Hisar, 2011), I was tasked with an inquiry into a revealing case. A woman, claiming widowhood, applied for an Anganwadi Worker post. Widows received an extra 10 marks, making her selection possible. However, she had remarried through Karewa (a customary remarriage within the family of the deceased husband). She even had a child with her new husband.

When confronted, she brazenly denied remarriage, insisting she remained a widow. The child, she said, was “hers alone,” dismissing the father’s recorded name as a clerical formality.

Here, tradition (Karewa) and modern opportunity (government job) fused into hypocrisy: clinging to widowhood status for benefit, while simultaneously rejecting its restrictions when inconvenient.

Other Reflections of Value Decay

Such cases are not rare. Across Haryana and India, one finds similar distortions:

Fake caste certificates: Nearly 1.8 lakh fake caste certificates were detected across India (2015–2020).

Dowry practices: Despite being outlawed in 1961, India still records 6,900 dowry deaths annually (NCRB 2022).

Education subsidies: In Haryana, audits reveal BPL misuse by affluent families to secure school admissions and scholarships.

Election opportunism: 70% of voters in Haryana admit caste influences their ballot (CSDS, 2019).

Property disputes: Two-thirds of all civil cases in Haryana are land-related, often within families.

The Haryana Context: Tradition Meets Modernity

Tracing Haryana’s social history reveals why hypocrisy is particularly entrenched.

Ancient/medieval: Caste dictated occupation and honour codes; marriage taboos rigid.

Colonial: Canal colonization enriched some castes; hierarchy hardened.

Post-independence: Green Revolution created prosperity but reinforced dominance of landholding castes. Khap panchayats retained medieval control over marriage.

Present day: Haryana enjoys the second-highest per-capita income in India (₹2,96,685 in 2023–24), yet caste-based honour killings (70 cases between 2015–2020) and Khap diktats remain routine.

Economic growth has not softened tradition; it has sharpened its hypocrisy.

Comparisons: Kerala, Punjab, and Haryana

The paradox of Haryana stands out more clearly when compared with other states.

Kerala:
Kerala has a per-capita income less than half of Haryana’s (₹1,53,167 in 2023–24), yet it consistently outperforms Haryana in social indicators: literacy (96% vs Haryana’s 77%), sex ratio (1,084 vs 929), infant mortality (5 vs 28 per 1,000 live births). Here, social reforms and education movements reduced hypocrisy by aligning values with development.

Punjab:
Punjab, like Haryana, is agriculturally prosperous, but caste rigidity is somewhat diluted by Sikh egalitarian ethos. Hypocrisy exists—such as farm subsidy misuse and drug trade—but Khap diktats and honour killings are far less prevalent.

Haryana:
Haryana is the paradox writ large. Despite wealth, it ranks 18th on India’s Human Development Index (NITI Aayog, 2021). Patriarchal customs like Karewa persist; caste dictates marriages and politics. Prosperity has not bred modernity—it has entrenched feudal mindsets.

Thus, Haryana reveals a unique pattern: high economic growth + low social progress = maximum hypocrisy

Politics as the Stage of Hypocrisy

Nothing exposes this hypocrisy more than Haryana’s politics.

Devi Lal and the Jat Mobilization

In the 1980s, Devi Lal, the “Champion of Farmers,” rose to power by consolidating the Jat community as a political force. He projected himself as the voice of the peasantry, yet under his rule the benefits of land, subsidies, and jobs flowed mainly to dominant groups. Justice for backward castes and Dalits remained lip service.

Chautala Era: Feudal Politics in Democracy

Om Prakash Chautala carried this legacy forward in the 1990s and 2000s. His regime was notorious for nepotism, corruption, and feudal high-handedness. Teachers’ recruitment scams exposed how government jobs were sold for cash or caste loyalty. Yet, his party continued to win on the plank of “values” and “Jat honour.”

Post-2014 BJP Strategy: Non-Jat Consolidation

The BJP, sensing fatigue with Jat dominance, pursued a deliberate non-Jat consolidation strategy after 2014. By distributing tickets disproportionately to non-Jats and allying with caste groups like Punjabis, Sainis, and Dalits, it built a counterweight. But this was not meritocracy—it was caste arithmetic in a new form.

Elections as Hypocrisy in Motion

2019 Assembly Elections: Out of 90 seats, caste identity determined almost every ticket. BJP fielded 48 non-Jat candidates, while Congress leaned on Jats.

Khap Mobilization: Khap leaders, who ban intra-gotra marriages, negotiated with parties for ticket distribution and electoral support.

Women in Politics: Despite women forming nearly half the electorate, only 9 women MLAs were elected. Parties celebrate “Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao” in speeches but deny women tickets in practice.

Wealth and Criminality: ADR reports show 80% of MLAs are crorepatis, with many facing criminal cases. Voters who denounce corruption still elect them.

From Devi Lal’s populism to Chautala’s feudalism to BJP’s social engineering, the thread is the same: hypocrisy dressed as politics.

The Paradox of Social vs. Economic Development

The fundamental paradox is this: India and Haryana may grow economically, but social values lag—or worse, are contorted. Social conservatism and opportunism coexist, producing a society that is both rigid and dishonest.

Economic development should ideally foster fairness, equality, and modern values. Instead, in Haryana, it often reinforces old hierarchies:

Dominant castes capture state benefits disproportionately.

Women remain instruments of manipulation rather than beneficiaries of empowerment.

Political power flows not from ideology but caste arithmetic.

The result: India today is a “unique hypocrite society”—modern in aspiration, medieval in practice, and opportunistic in action

Conclusion

When economic gain is in sight, values are the first casualty. Widowhood is both exploited and denied, caste is both flaunted and concealed, gender is both worshipped and subjugated. Haryana exemplifies this paradox, where centuries of tradition meet modern schemes, and hypocrisy thrives in the gap between social conservatism and economic opportunism.

From the widow pensions to Anganwadi posts, from Devi Lal’s farmer populism to BJP’s caste calculus, the pattern is unchanged: values are invoked, only to be betrayed. Until honesty, merit, and equality replace hypocrisy as social hallmarks, the mirror of Haryana—and indeed India—will reflect not progress, but pretence.

References

1. Census of India 2011 – Population, sex ratio, literacy data.

2. NITI Aayog (2021), National Human Development Report – Haryana’s HDI ranking (18th).

3. Haryana Economic Survey 2023–24 – Per-capita income figures.

4. NCRB Crime in India Report (2022) – Dowry deaths (~6,900 annually nationwide).

5. Press Trust of India (Sept 2021) – Haryana Govt identified 40,000 ineligible pension beneficiaries through verification.

6. Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India Reports on Haryana (2018–2020) – Misuse of BPL and social security schemes.

7. Ministry of Social Justice, Govt of India (2020) – 1.8 lakh fake caste certificates cancelled across states.

8. CSDS-Lokniti Survey (2019, General Election Studies) – ~70% voters in Haryana admit caste influences voting.

9. ADR (Association for Democratic Reforms, 2019 Assembly Report) – 80% Haryana MLAs are crorepatis; many face criminal charges.

10. International Institute for Population Sciences (NFHS-5, 2019–21) – Haryana’s sex ratio at birth (929), literacy gap, and women’s empowerment indicators.

11. The Hindu, Indian Express, Times of India (2010–2023) – Reports on Khap panchayat diktats, honour killings, and marriage taboos in Haryana.

12. Jean Drèze & Amartya Sen (2013), An Uncertain Glory: India and its Contradictions – On India’s economic growth vs. social development paradox.

 

 

 

A Troubling Paradox: Economic Gain, Social Decay in Northern India

Northern India, often celebrated as a crucible of economic growth, hides beneath its prosperity a disturbing social reality. Haryana, Rajasthan, Punjab, Western Uttar Pradesh, and even the fringes of Delhi boast highways, malls, and industrial corridors—but their social landscape remains mired in feudal values, contradictions,

 and decay. Here, wealth has not translated into enlightenment. Instead, opportunism, patriarchal rigidity, and a deeply skewed sex ratio have created a paradoxical society: outwardly modern, inwardly medieval.

As the old saying goes, “You can change the walls of the house, but not the mindset of the dweller.”

The Unwelcome Guest: Why Daughters Remain “Liabilities”

At the heart of this malaise lies the treatment of the girl child. Despite education and urban migration, the mindset has changed little. In rural homes and middle-class city flats alike, the arrival of a daughter is still whispered as misfortune.

Why?

Dowry and Gifts: The crushing weight of dowry and the lifelong expectation of gifts to the in-laws make daughters a financial sinkhole. As the rural proverb goes, “Betī kī shaadi apnī kabar khodnā hai” (A daughter’s marriage is digging your own grave).

Safety and Security: Parents view daughters as perpetual risks—requiring protection, surveillance, and control to safeguard the elusive notion of “honor.”

The “Other’s” Income: Even when daughters are educated and employed, the perception persists that her earnings benefit another household. This utilitarian calculation makes investment in her future seem “wasteful.”

This collective mindset has birthed one of India’s darkest social practices—female foeticide. Despite being criminalized, it remains an open secret in both villages and cities. The result is stark: a sex ratio so skewed that in some districts, there are fewer than 850 girls for every 1000 boys.

Marriage, Market, and the Hypocrisy of “Honor”

The skewed sex ratio has warped the institution of marriage. Eligible young men struggle to find brides, and desperation has turned women into commodities.

The Bride Market: Men with resources procure brides from faraway, poorer states—Jharkhand, Assam, Odisha—often from marginalized castes. These women are accepted without question, despite cultural, linguistic, or caste differences.

The Hypocrisy of Honor: The same society that embraces brides bought from other regions violently opposes local inter-caste or inter-gotra marriages. Love marriages face relentless opposition. Families are ostracized; couples are forced to separate; and too often, “honor killings” are carried out. The contradiction is glaring: money can erase caste boundaries, but love cannot.

As one villager cynically remarked, “Apnī jaat kī chhori na chale, par dūsrī jaat kī kharīd lo—yeh hai samāj kī maryādā” (Our own caste girl must not marry freely, but we may buy a girl from another caste—that is society’s code).

The Façade of Brotherhood

Northern Indian villages pride themselves on the idea that boys and girls of the same village are “brothers and sisters.” But this brotherhood is a fragile fiction. Beneath the veneer lies widespread sexual exploitation.

Numerous cases exist where so-called “brothers” exploit village girls, leading to hidden pregnancies.

Premarital and extra-marital encounters are an open secret—spoken of in whispers but denied in public.

Yet when love dares to show its face openly, the same society explodes in self-righteous fury, demanding blood in the name of “honor.”

As the proverb goes, “Kuan jaane, balti jaane, par gaon anjaan bane” (The well knows, the bucket knows, but the village pretends ignorance).

The Historical Burden of Feudalism

This is not a new sickness but a continuation of historical feudal norms. For centuries, communities in the Hindi heartland placed “izzat” (honor) above individual freedom. Land, cattle, and women became symbols of family prestige, to be controlled and guarded. Even as tractors replaced bullocks and malls replaced mandis, the feudal psyche survived intact.

Economic liberalization has filled pockets but not minds. The paradox persists: men earning salaries in Gurgaon’s glass towers return to villages that still dictate whom one can or cannot love.

Crumbling Walls, Future Reckonings

The contradictions are catching up with society. The shortage of brides is tearing through the illusion of self-sufficiency. Imported brides, broken families, honor killings, and frustrated youth are symptoms of a crumbling social order.

The tragedy is not just of individuals but of an entire civilization that shackles its young. In denying them the right to choose, society is sowing seeds of rebellion and despair. As one old saying warns, “Diwār girti hai, par deewar girne se pehle ghar hil jātā hai” (The wall falls, but before it falls, the house already shakes).

Conclusion: Progress Beyond Highways

True progress is not measured in highways, malls, or industrial output. It is measured in dignity, freedom, and equality. A society that treats daughters as burdens, controls love, and cloaks hypocrisy in the garb of honor cannot call itself progressive.

The youth of Northern India deserve better. The coming generations will not forgive this betrayal. If we fail to break these feudal chains, the economic towers we build will rest on foundations of sand.

It is time to ask: Will we allow false honor to devour our humanity? Or will we choose love, equality, and justice as the real markers of development?

 

Modern Farms, Medieval Lives: Women in Haryana’s Social Paradox

On November 1, 1966, Haryana was carved out of the larger Punjab state with high hopes of ushering in a new era of socio-economic and political development. The aspirations attached to this new state were immense: the people believed that separate statehood would allow them to chart a fresh trajectory in governance, economic progress, and social transformation. By coincidence, as Haryana completed 43 years in 2009, its journey reflected both remarkable achievements and deep contradictions.

Economic Transformation: From Subsistence to Surplus

Economically, Haryana emerged as one of India’s most dynamic states. The Green Revolution of the late 1960s played a defining role in this transformation. The introduction of High Yielding Varieties (HYV) of wheat and rice, improved crop practices, and government-backed access to fertilizers, pesticides, and credit systems created a revolution in agricultural productivity. The electrification of rural areas and subsidized electricity for tube wells further boosted crop yields by making irrigation reliable and affordable. This changed Haryana from a food-deficit region into one of the country’s largest contributors to the central food grain pool.

The rise of surplus agriculture created prosperity for large sections of the rural population. Farmers could afford mechanization, and the rural economy became visibly wealthier. Haryana’s prosperity also laid the foundation for industrial development, especially in areas like Gurugram and Faridabad, which eventually became hubs of modern industry, trade, and services.

Expansion of Education and Social Mobility

Parallel to agricultural growth, education also witnessed expansion. The state invested heavily in establishing schools, colleges, and universities, significantly increasing literacy rates. One of the most notable achievements was the improved access to education for girls. Traditionally confined to domestic roles within a patriarchal setup, many girls in Haryana now found themselves able to pursue higher education. By the early 2000s, this access had created a visible class of educated young women, which was a significant departure from the rigid social norms of the past.

This expansion of education was expected to lead to social liberalization. In theory, economic growth and access to education should have undermined feudalism and patriarchal traditions. However, the expected social transformation did not materialize in equal measure.

The Social Contradiction: Tribal Mindset in a Modern Economy

Despite the economic and educational leap, Haryana’s social development lagged far behind. The deep-rooted feudal and caste-based mindset remained intact, especially in rural areas. The state, though geographically close to Delhi and part of the modernizing belt of North India, continued to exhibit regressive social behavior.

The persistence of caste identities, not just in matters of ritual purity but in everyday social relations, proved to be a formidable obstacle to modernization. The greatest test of this contradiction emerged in the context of marriage alliances. While education and urban exposure encouraged young men and women to form relationships beyond caste and community lines, the societal response was overwhelmingly hostile.

Self-appointed caste councils and khap panchayats, dominated by conservative village elders, assumed the role of enforcing these rigid norms. When young couples crossed caste or religious boundaries for marriage, these institutions often resorted to threats, ostracism, and, in extreme cases, violence. The phenomenon of “honor killings” became a chilling reality, turning rural Haryana into what many observers described as an inferno for the youth.

Despite economic progress and wider education, Haryana’s rural society clung to feudal and patriarchal norms. Caste remained the principal organizing force of village life.

While untouchability in its crude form had weakened, the mental caste barrier persisted.

Marriages across caste or gotra lines were viewed as a fundamental threat to the social order.

Instead of celebrating youth autonomy and personal choice, Haryana’s villages often responded with collective violence.

Honor Killings and Khap Panchayats: Tribal Justice in Modern Times

The most chilling manifestation of Haryana’s social stagnation has been honor killings sanctioned by Khap Panchayats—self-styled caste councils that continue to wield enormous influence.

Manoj and Babli case (2007, Kaithal district): The young couple, married within the same gotra, was brutally murdered after a Khap declared their marriage invalid.

Jind district, 2009: Another couple was strangled for defying caste norms, their bodies displayed as a warning.

Human rights groups condemned these acts. Amnesty International (2009) described honor killings in Haryana as “an appalling reflection of the hold of caste over human freedom, tolerated by silence and inaction.”

The Supreme Court of India, in hearings during 2008–09, declared:

“Khap Panchayats are wholly illegal, and their dictates have no sanction under law. When two consenting adults marry, no third party has any right to interfere.”

Yet, Khap diktats continued to enforce bans on same-gotra marriages, restrict inter-caste unions, and order boycotts, turning villages into an inferno for youths.

Haryana’s Progress and Contradictions

Indicator	1966 (Formation Year)	2001 Census	Situation by 2009	Observation
Literacy Rate	~25%	67.9% (M: 78.5, F: 55.7)	Rising, esp. among girls	Big leap, yet rural-urban and gender gaps persist
Sex Ratio (females per 1000 males)	~870	861	850 (among worst in India)	Economic growth did not erase gender bias
Agricultural Output	Wheat & rice minor crops	10+ million tonnes annually	Major contributor to national food pool	Economic success story
Educational Institutions	Few universities, limited colleges	15 universities, 200+ colleges	Further expansion till 2009	Access widened, esp. for girls
Honor Killings Reported	None documented	Sporadic	25+ reported cases between 2003–2009 (estimated higher due to underreporting)	Linked to Khap diktats
Khap Panchayat Influence	Strong in Jat-dominated areas	Still active	Assertive, issuing illegal diktats	Survived despite modern state institutions

Silence of the State and Society

Perhaps the most disturbing element in this social contradiction was the collective silence. Political parties refrained from confronting these brutal practices, fearing electoral backlash and the loss of caste-based vote banks. Intellectuals, social organizations, and even sections of the media largely remained passive. This silence reflected a moral paralysis—a society that, despite boasting economic prosperity, appeared insensitive to the basic rights and dignity of its younger generation.

The metaphor of people as “statues arranged in a rock garden” captures this insensitivity well. It symbolized a society that watched violence against its own children without protest, a society whose conscience had become numb under the weight of tradition and fear.

Conclusion: The Unfinished Project of Modernity

By 2009, Haryana stood at a crossroads. Its agricultural transformation and educational expansion were undeniable achievements, creating prosperity and opportunities that previous generations could scarcely imagine. Yet, the state failed to translate this progress into genuine social modernity. The persistence of caste hierarchies, patriarchal dominance, and the brutal enforcement of regressive norms posed an existential question: what is the worth of economic success if society cannot protect its own youth or embrace basic human freedoms?

As Haryana turned 43 in 2009, the central challenge before it was not economic growth but social reform. Unless economic and educational advancements were accompanied by a dismantling of feudal mindsets and caste rigidities, Haryana’s prosperity would remain hollow—an incomplete promise of modernity trapped in the chains of its past. Instead of eroding caste and patriarchal controls, prosperity paradoxically reinforced them.

As Haryana and I both turned 43 in 2009, the existential question remains:

"Can a society that kills its own children for love truly claim to be developed? Or will Haryana’s future remain chained to its feudal past, a heartless society statuesque in the face of injustice?"