Why Honour Killing in India Requires Urgent Reforms

Honour Killing: An Odius Crime

The recent heinous case of honour killing in Aurangabad, Maharashtra shook the society. The intensity of the rage was evident by the act of victim's younger brother who took selfies after beheading his pregnant elder sister and paraded the severed head of his sister in the locality. It was heart wrenching to know that his mother was the accomplice  in committing this brutal killing.

It was reported that a few months ago, the victim, Kirti, 19, eloped with Ajay, a resident of the same village and got married. When informed about their return to the village, both brother and mother of the victim went to meet her. She welcomed them wholeheartedly; little did she know what the motive of her mother and sibling was. While she was preparing tea and snacks for them, was brutally attacked by her brother by a sickle. Her mother grabbed her legs and the brother chopped her head off. The revenge was not yet over; neither it satiated their malice, the brother took the chopped head and showed it to her neighbors to prove that he had taught a lesson to his sister.

Another case of the same state narrates one more gruesome story when a woman and her husband were set ablaze by her father and other relatives as they were enraged on their inter caste marriage. She succumbed to her burn injuries and the man kept battling for life.

Is this the society we dream of? Is this the society we are proud of? And is this the development we are striving for where human rights have no existence and  personal choices and freedom of thoughts are meant to be crumpled under the feet of so called ‘honour’ of a family? Where atrocities on young couples are considered an important lesson for their decisions of marrying to a person of their choice, and everything is fair in the name of ‘HONOR’.

Honor killing is defined as killing for the sake of honor, a brutal killing that is awarded mostly to a woman or her partner by their own family members for getting married against their wishes. Whose ‘honor’ are we talking about? The honorable murderers or the orthodox elders who think that women’s prime responsibility is only to take care of her family members, doing the daily chores and carry the honour and legacy of the family by accepting the groom that they select for her. A girl of the family carries the dignity by not raising her voice against any wrong done to her while a boy preserves the honour by raising weapons, killing innocent and committing crime; such a wonderful parameter of “Gender Equality” in our society. 

The Factors Responsible for the Crime

In India, majority of caste members do not approve an inter caste marriage, any type of relationship outside their caste or within the same gotra is not allowed and this stereotype gives birth to outrage when young generation defies to follow such orthodox norms set by their elders. On the pretext of preserving the decorum and honour of the family; the crime takes birth. Not just the inter caste marriages, some other reasons like; losing virginity before marriage and tag of love marriage also contribute to such killings. To utter dismay, it can be a casual talk also. A dalit boy of 17 from a farmer’s family in Nagar district was beaten and strangled to death because he was talking to a girl of an upper caste. His body was found hanging from a tree in the village. The increasing cases of honour killing in the recent years is an alarming situation and mockery of the law, as per the data of National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), 251 murders were reported as honour killing cases in India and more than 300 cases have been reported in recent 3 years.

The barbaric murders in the name of honour not only violate human rights but infringe the integrity of institutions like police and judiciary also. The attitude of zero tolerance in caste matters is the prime factor behind these killings which are posing an impediment to our socio cultural growth and communal harmony. And that makes a strong reason why honour killing in India requires urgent reforms.

The Role of Khap Panchayats

Even after 75 years of independence, people of India are still victims of social evils like honour killing, Casteism and other violence in the name of communal and religious issues. In India, people still think caste is more important than life and under the fear of losing certain privileges of that particular caste; they choose to kill their own children instead of supporting them. Despite the rule by the Supreme Court that none can intervene in a happy married life of two adults, Khap Panchayats practice the ruthless administration in the villages where there is an absence of structured legislation and people are illiterate and not aware of their rights to freedom and constitutional rights to safeguard themselves from any kind of exploitation. Due to the inaccessible and fragile existence of law and order, these Khap Panchayats flourish in our country and still have the authority to declare punishments and settle dispute among them. These Khap leaders enjoy the power and supremacy by becoming the custodians of the honour of the entire clan and feel no hesitation in giving death penalty to those young couples who marry as per their choice.

A Ray of Hope

Many laws have been amended and government took strict action to curb this crime in Indian society yet we have to go miles. People need to understand the proverb stated by Justice Dipak Mishra, “Liberty, taking the word in its practical sense means the right to choose.” So it’s the need of the hour to change the perspective of considering caste and gotra above human life. Many NGOs have come forward to fight against this social evil and helped young couples.  They provide legal guidance, financial support and safe houses to these tormented couples. They even provide assistance for marriage solemnization and registration.

But will that suffice to curb this ghastly crime, certainly not; the problem is not with the generation gap and the freedom of choices, the problem is the mindset, the taboo which casts a shadow over the budding dreamers and beating hearts who just want a safe and happy life and a life partner of their own choice. Do you still think; they are wrong?

Let’s wait together for the dawn that will witness the cessation of such atrocities on innocent lives.