Satta-Watta Marriage System

Recently, a caste panchayat in Jalore, Rajasthan, imposed a ban on women accessing smartphones. The ban reflects attempts to control women's autonomy, concerns about maintaining perceived moral standards, and fears that social media may facilitate inter-community relationships and disrupt traditional marriage arrangements, such as the satta-watta marriage system.

• The Satta-Watta marriage system is a traditional form of reciprocal marriage practised in parts of Rajasthan and some neighbouring regions.
• Under this system, two families exchange brides, usually by marrying a brother and sister from one family to a sister and brother from the other.
• The arrangement is based on mutual ....