ABSTRACT
The chapter explores the cultural practice of khafz through narratives in India, portraying how representational factors from international discourses reflect on the Indian context and vice versa. A deep dive into the complex history of the Dawoodi Bohra community, tracing the cultural genesis of the practice, explains their cultural choices and helps in contextualising the community in contemporary times. The chapter reflects upon the procedural aspects of khafz in light of the international legal regime and documents the multi-layered Indian narratives surrounding the practice based on 80 personal interviews. Almost 96 percent of the 74 Bohra women interviewed are confirmed as circumcised. Most of the interviews were conducted in Mumbai, Ahmedabad, and Surat given the higher concentration of the community in these urban locations with cosmopolitan worldviews.
