Bihar Village Bans Women and Girls From Using Mobile Phones

A village council in the state of Bihar this week prohibited unmarried women and girls from using mobile phones, saying that they promote extramarital affairs and unsanctioned marriages and erode the moral fabric of society. Married women will be allowed to use them only indoors and in the presence of a relative. The New York Times reports.

The decree was issued Sunday by a panchayat — an informal, unelected council — in Sunderbari, a village of 8,000 in the Purnia district of eastern Bihar. “Girls,” as the council calls them, which are defined as all unmarried females, face a fine of 10,000 rupees, or $180, if they violate the order, the council said, or the equivalent of months of income for most families in the area; the fine for married women is 2,000 rupees.

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Previously: - 'Talibani' panchayat forbids girls from using cell phones

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