Jodhpur: Less than a week after imposing a ban on use of smartphones by “daughters and daughters-in-law”, a Jalore panchayat Wednesday withdrew the controversial order that triggered widespread protests. The panchayat members said the order was issued keeping in mind growing mobile phone addiction among children, but since the diktat was “misunderstood”, the decision was withdrawn.A Chaudhary community panchayat of Sundhamata Patti in Gazipur village had on Dec 21 ordered the ban in 15 villages under the panchayat starting Jan 26 next year, allowing the “daughters-in-law and daughters” to operate only keypad (feature) phones to make calls with.In the order pronounced by panchayat member Himmataram, it was stated that if it was necessary for school-going girls to keep a mobile phone for their studies, they would be allowed to use the device at home for educational purposes only. “They will not be permitted to carry mobile phones to wedding ceremonies, social functions, or to neighbours’ houses,” the order said.Another panchayat member, Natharam Chaudhary, said that on Dec 21, at a community programme at Sundha Mata, women had pointed to the increased use of mobile phones among children after they returned from school. “The women said the children neither eat food nor study and spend the entire day looking at their mobile phones,” Chaudhary said.“There are so many apps on mobile phones that children keep watching videos continuously. This is adversely affecting both their minds and their eyesight. Based on this, suggestions came in that women should not have smartphones and as a result, the decision was taken. A one-month prior notice was given to let people to allow the situation to improve,” Chaudhary said, adding that there was no compulsion involved in this decision.The decision, however, was misconstrued as a diktat seeking to rein in women, and therefore, was withdrawn during a meeting of the panchayat in Gazipur village on Wednesday, Chaudhary said. “People misunderstood the decision,” Chaudhary said.
