Social Legitimacy vs Perceived Formal Legal Recognition: A Quantitative Study of Deity-Based Justice in Himachal Pradesh

Abstract

The local deity institutions in HP still have meaningful roles in the life of a community that go beyond worship. This study throws light on social legitimisation and perceived formal legal recognition of deity-based justice among selected communities of Kullu and Shimla districts. The research design employed was quantitative and data used were primary data which were collected by using a structured questionnaire for 1140 respondents. Descriptive statistical analysis, cross tabulation and Pearson's Chi-square test were used to analyse data. The findings indicate strong community perceptions of deity institutions as custodians of social order, providers of informal justice, preservers of traditions, and regulators of community behaviour. Deity decisions also receive substantial community acceptance, although perceptions of transparency are comparatively less consistent. In contrast, perceived formal legal recognition of deity decisions is considerably weaker, with substantial uncertainty among respondents. Significant district-level differences were observed across the dimensions examined, with generally stronger positive perceptions in Shimla than in Kullu. The study demonstrates a clear distinction between the social legitimacy of deity-based justice and respondents’ perceptions of its formal legal recognition. The study concludes that deity-based justice continues to operate as a socially accepted customary form of authority alongside, rather than as a substitute for, the formal judicial system in the communities studied.