In some villages in India, owning a cell phone is prohibited—at least for girls and single women.
Those found to have one or have used one whether that phone belongs to them or someone else will be fined the equivalent of $30. Those who inform of anyone disobeying the ban can earn a reward of $3, the United Press International (UPI) reported.
The ban was reportedly imposed on a couple of villages in Gujarat, western India. It went into effect on Feb. 12, 2016, with the aim of ensuring that girls under the age of 18 and unmarried women are not distracted from studies and work with mobile phones.
"The girls don't study properly if they have mobile phones, and they can get into all sorts of bad situations,'' Ranjit Singh Thaor, president of Mehsana district council said.
"Let them study, get married, then they can get their own phones. Until then, they can use their father's phones at home, if necessary,'' he added.
Devshi Vankar, head of the Gujarat village of Suraj who issued the cell phone ban, told the Hindustan Times that girls should be spending more time studying than using mobile phones. "Why do girls need mobile phones? Internet is a waste of time and money for a middle-class community like us.''
His statement was echoed by Suraj villagers who said that single women often used the phones as means of leaving home and eloping, according to UPI.
"This is an era of Whatsapp, where people secretly talk with each other. We have to save girls from those who acquire their number and harass them or try to lure these innocent girls,'' said Vankar.
The new policy, which is expected to be adopted by other communities in Gujarat, exempts females attending college.
College girls, it said are "mature enough to differentiate between good and bad."
They also need mobile phones to stay connected with their parents since colleges are located far from the villages, said Vankar.
Vankar further said that girls staying with their parents could still use phones inside their residences with supervision, UPI said.
