A contentious community decree in Rajasthan’s Jalore district has sparked debate after elders barred women and young girls from using smartphones. The decision, taken by the Chaudhary (Patel) community, mandates that females in the affected areas must restrict themselves to basic keypad mobile phones.

The directive was issued during a meeting of community elders held on December 21 in the Sundha Mata region. It applies to more than two dozen villages falling under the Bhinmal and Raniwara assembly constituencies. The move has drawn significant attention given the political prominence of the Chaudhary community in the region, which counts several MPs and MLAs among its members.

Reasoning Behind the Ban

According to community representatives, the primary motivation behind the ban is to curb what they perceive as rising mobile phone addiction among children and young women. Elders argued that unrestricted access to smartphones was negatively influencing behavior.

Under the new rules, smartphones are strictly prohibited for daughters-in-law, school-going girls, and college students. Instead, they are permitted to use only basic feature phones for communication. Some elders, speaking anonymously, stated the measure was necessary to regulate screen usage and maintain social discipline.

Villages Under the Decree

The restriction covers a wide cluster of villages including Gajapura, Gajipura, Pavli, Malwada, Rajpura, Rajikavas, Khanpur, Aaldi, Ropsi, Savidar, Kodi, Chitrodi, and Kagmala. The formal announcement was made by community elder Himmataram, following internal consultations confirmed by Sujanaram Chaudhary, the president of the Sundha Mata Patti Chaudhary community.

Conflict with Digital Initiatives

This community-enforced ban stands in stark contrast to ongoing efforts by both state and central governments to promote digital literacy among women. Recently, Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma distributed tablets to female beneficiaries under government welfare schemes designed to foster economic empowerment and digital access.

Official Response

Local authorities have taken note of the developments, though no formal complaints have been lodged yet. Jalore Superintendent of Police Shailendra Indolia addressed the issue, clarifying the police stance.

“We have not received any formal information regarding the directive. However, any complaint received from an affected woman will be addressed strictly in accordance with the law.” — Shailendra Indolia, SP, Jalore

The decree has become a subject of widespread discussion across the district, raising questions about individual rights versus community mandates.