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Womens Movement and Crimes concerning Honour An Indian Experience A Review Paper Prof. Vibhuti Patel, SNDT Womens University, Mumbai-20

Crimes in the name of honour are on a rise in our country. Both rural as well as urban areas are gripped with instances of horrific crimes where young citizens of our country are being killed for exercising their democratic right of choosing their life partners. The democratic minded people of our country are both shocked and distressed by these incidents. During last three decades, womens movement in India has provided institutional support to young lovers and newly married couples faced with life-threatening consequences. The murders of young women and men, who have married by choice or across caste barriers, often go unnoticed. There are no statistics on loss of lives due to honour related crimes. Many are not investigated because the community closes ranks, apparently making it impossible to find out what really happened. Spate of violence against love marriages involving couples from same Gotra and same village at the behest of caste panchayats (councils) meting Kangaroo justice, has forced womens rights organizations to demand laws deciding parameters within which caste councils can exercise their rights in the name of identity. Though the mainstream media, politicians and community leaders call such barbaric acts of lynching, burning, stoning, brutally murdering young lovers honour killing, feminists refuse this term and declare it as custodial killing. (Chakravarty, Uma, 2005). Political Economy of Honour killing In a patriarchal society there is prevalence of a pattern of social evaluation based on the performance of the prescribed roles by women in particular. The notion of honour as the apex of social values and the embodiment of social ideals establishes the framework for a womans social worth as it is continuously evaluated and sanctioned by family, neighbours, clan, caste, community, colleagues at workplace etc. Ones conformity to normative roles guarantees societal approval by conceding honour, while deviance leads to isolation, social boycott, ostracisation, even killing. Patriarchy also imposes double standard of morality for men and
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women. With respect to women, honour may be synonymous with chastity or virginity, or in case of a married woman, fidelity (Kanchan, 2007). Normative social assumptions even today understand women mostly in terms of domesticity and reproduction and therefore reinforce womens traditional powerlessness. Family pressures also often cause enormous disadvantage to women. More than 47.4 % of marriages in India are child marriages (NFHS, 2006). Many women are married off early in life to men chosen by their parents, often against their will. They do not have the liberty to get higher education or choose a career of their choice, and the liberty to decide whom and when to marry remains inaccessible to them. Women are considered to be repository of custom, tradition and identity of the community (Narayan, 2003). Violence against women among South Asians is in some way or the other connected to honour of the family built on control of sexuality, fertilely and labour of the women. In many regions of South Asia it leads to the heinous crime called Honour Killings. Despite legal provisions, government efforts and social activism to eradicate such crimes, defended by perpetrators as a necessary measure taken to protect tradition and preserve caste, religious and ethnic lines, autonomy of women takes the beatings (Puniani 2005). Medieval thinking and retrograde practices are still very much present in South Asia. Caste, religion or ethnic identities in many parts of South Asia still trigger undemocratic divisions between citizens and gendered crimes such as honour killing have come to dissolve womens right to choose. Identity politics has posed major challenge to the womens movement (Sen, 2005). For instance, today many women in India are at the receiving end of socio-cultural distortions that work to the detriment of their interests, in particular, the right to exercise freedom of choice. The many rights which have been granted to women by the Constitution of India since independence such as the right to marry a person of ones individual choice, right to claim property and right to inheritance do not exist in practice for majority of the Indian women (Mathur, 2007). With changing economic and political contexts inter-mixing of boys and girls has increased in schools, colleges, clubs, workplaces and while long distance regular travelling in local buses and trains. Liberal education also makes them question inequalities based on gender, social and caste status.
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Material basis of Andocentric Practices Tackling the complexities governing womens lack of autonomy within the cultural settings of androcentric practices are based on multiple aspects. There is a need to identify the sociocultural and economic and political factors within the South Asian cultural framework that come in the way of womens autonomy and force women to live a controlled existence with the primary identity based on the biologic i.e. sex. There is a need to analyse and critique the deeply held gendered identities and androcentric practices grounded in caste, class and religious consciousness. Agrarian economy is strongly linked to feudal set-ups. Material basis though is changing its forms with changing modes of production; the pertinent question here is how it affects womens autonomy in South Asia. Though forces of production are moving towards capitalism but relations of production have strong pre-capitalist elements that determine socio-economic and cultural hierarchy. India is undergoing U shape phenomenon so far as womens work participation is concerned. During 1950s, mass of women worked in the subsistence economy that involved household based labour-intensive manual work. With industrial modernization- mechanization, automation, rationalisation and agricultural mechanization- tractorisation, HYV- High Yielding Varieties, use of chemical fertilizers i.e. Green Revolution, White Revolution in the late sixties; households that prospered pulled out their women from menial chores. Young girls from these households were enrolled in schools/ colleges and 20 years down the line they enter the white collar work force. During 1990s, economically independent women started challenging andocentric matrimonial practices and womens subjugation and began exercising choices in selection of their dress-code, hair-style, friends and life-partners. Since late 1970s, womens rights groups providing support to women in social distress have been inundated by requests for help from survivors of domestic violence who happened to be young unmarried daughters who refused to fit into the norms of the household as they wore Western clothes, cut their hair and chose close friends or lover from different caste, cultural or religious backgrounds

(Patel, 2009). Added to this, was brutal and murderous attacks on couples involved in same sex intimate relations. (Deswal, 2011). 1 Elite Set the standards In the era of capitalist expansion, among the upper stratum of society, marriages are determined to enhance capital accumulation, facilitate mergers and business collaborations, increase property and develop joint businesses. Marriage for capital accumulation makes women and children of the propertied class, pawns in power games of the patriarchal class interest. Concentration of property, land, wealth, business, prestige, power and political mileage has become mantra for upward mobility. Thus the elite set the benchmark for marriage practices. Cultural nationalism coupled with neo-liberalism has provided material basis for forcible endogamous marriages. Those who rebel, lose property, prestige, plum position and at times, their lives. The Structures of Power that Make Such Violence Possible Neoliberal macroeconomic policies have attacked the social security provided by the state in terms of health care, old age support and shelter to the needy. Commercialisation of human relations has resulted into erosion of kinship-sponsored social security. Thus market fundamentalism and cultural fundamentalism create vested interest among parents over childrens lives. Arranged marriage ensures greater control by parents and kinship networks over young couples. One can see this in most of the current TV serials in Hindi and other regional languages that portray joint family as a norm and show strongly misogynist family drama. In the middle class, couples with one or two children tend to be too possessive about their children. Small family norms adopted by the middle class educated families make housewives unduly demanding of their children. In recent cases of honour killing educated mothers who are housewives have played key role in killing their daughters who opted for love marriages. 2
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Deswal, Deepender, Man Kills Two Widows over Lesbian Affair, The Times of India, 19-4-2011.

www.hindustantimes.com/Daughter...kills-mother...honour/Article1-602708, timesofindia.indiatimes.com/India/Honour-killing...daughter-mother,2010 www.ndtv.com/.../India/was-this-journalists-death-an-honour-killing, www.stophonourkillings.com/?q=taxonomy/term/42&page=31)

Revivalist tendencies boosted by identity politics in the context of market fundamentalism and religious fundamentalism replace multicultural ethos and plural life-styles with moral policing and violence in the name of family honour, caste honour and communitys honour. Due to complicity of criminal justice system, most of the cases do not get even reported. Inter Caste Marriages Inter-Caste marriages fall in broadly two categories: inter-caste marriages within the pure Castes (from Brahman to Shudras). In other words, before, most of the inter-Caste marriages took place within the four Varnas- Brahman, Kshatriya, Vaishya, Shudra all touchable amongst themselves. In the pre-independence period, the marriages between the pure and impure or between Touchable and the Untouchable were the rarest (Shah, 2001). In many parts of the Indian countryside even now, tea shops maintain a three tumbler system one for non-Dalits, one for Dalits and one for the anonymous. In some parts of India, barbers dont serve Dalit customers, and in many parts of India, non-Dalit children refuse to eat mid-day meals prepared by Dalits. (Gupta, 2004) Despite this terrible contempt for Dalits, there are a number of non-Dalit women risking their lives and marrying Dalits. This only symbolises that Indias greatest social revolution is underway. After the elite boys, it is girls from upper castes and classes and boys from aspiring lower castes begin to join educational institutions and work centers. The Dalit and other poor or lower caste girls are still relatively unexposed to modern public life or move less confidently within it. In upper classes boys are admitted in English medium schools and girls are admitted in regional language medium school where neo-literate boys from lower castes are also admitted. This makes interaction between higher caste girls and lower caste boys common and mutual attraction possible. The traditional prejudice against lower caste status and patriarchal control of womens sexuality is reflected in the taboo against pratilom marriages among Hindus in which the bride is of a higher Varna or caste. This is also true of status within the caste such as hierarchy of kula or ancient bloodline among Rajputs and groups of villages among Patels or Anavils of Gujarat. Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar focused on the role of marriage in social construction of caste system and provided an important understanding of the issue of women's emancipation in the Indian context. As Babasaheb said, Caste is endogamy and endogamy is caste. He also brought
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out how the origin and reproduction of caste rested on gendered violence (Rege, 2010). Now, there are a number of cases involving Dalit professionals/Civil Servants/business persons who bring their brides home with little resistance in Maharashtra. Educated and self-respecting upper caste girls find arranged marriages based on dowry and ferocious patriarchal conditionalities (confinement, suspicion on character, lack of autonomy, double standard of sexual morality, greed to extract money and goodies from her parents by in laws) extremely insulting. They opt for love marriages based on mutual respect with lower caste boys whose power needs are relatively limited. But, thats mostly a metropolitan phenomenon involving the Dalit upper and middle classes. The problems begin in the countryside, small towns, and villages next to metropolitan cities. Those risking their lives and marrying outside their castes in general, and marrying Dalits in particular, are Indias new heroes and heroines. In Delhi, U.P., Bihar, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, even in Gujarat (in Western India) such marriages meet with tragic end. A widely held belief about modernization and globalization is that these processes lessen/blur the private/public divide, promote higher levels of interaction between people of different ethnoreligious groups and lead to the emancipation of women. At the same time, recent evidence from around the world point to the resurgence of ethno-religious movements which lead to the 'hardening' of boundaries between groups and which often use 'woman's conduct' as the primary mechanism of upholding 'tradition'. History of Inter-caste and Inter-religious Marriages in India In the 16th century, iconic figures such as King Akbar and Queen Jodha had an inter-religious marriage. In the pre-independence period, Dr. Ambedkar, born dalit married a Brahmin lady doctor, now highly respected as Mai Ambedkar. Mrs. Indira Gandhi, late Prime Minister of India from Kashmiri Brahmin caste background had married Shri. Feroz Gandhi, a Parsee gentleman and an activist of Indian National Congress. Several Gandhian workers in the pre and post independence period had inter-caste and inter-religious marriages. In some cases, their parents robbed them off their inheritance rights and severed relations but there were no physical attacks on them. George Fernandez, a trade union leader married a Muslim lady Laila Kabeer, but continued to remain popular leader for millions of industrial workers during 1970s. In the post6

independence period, left parties/groups and socialists provided support to ostracized couples who opted for inter-caste and inter-religious love marriages. Radicalisation of Indian Youth in the 1970s During radicalisation of youth in 1970s resulting into students uprising, rise of dalit movements, tribal struggles, trade union movements, agricultural workers unrest, farmers movement, democratic rights and civil liberties movement, womens movement; hundreds of young men and women chose to have inter-caste, inter-religious along with inter-class love marriages but community/ society did not react violently against them. These marriages became successful due to alternative secular, democratic community created by these movements. Children of social activists grew up with ethos of social movements and they married sons/daughters of progressive couples who believed in social justice. Currently, in their fifties, many of them are at the fore front of contemporary social movements (Desai, 2006). In all progressive movements, incidences of love marriages are quite common. In a metropolitan city such as Mumbai, there is more liberal attitude towards love marriages. Rohit Chopra and Jyoti Punwani (2005) examined over 50 cases of Hindu-Muslim inter-religious marriages in Mumbai, India's most populous city with a fairly sizeable Muslim population. The Muslims of Mumbai, they write, consist of a number of different sectarian, linguistic and caste communities. In a country where caste endogamy is the general rule, these various Muslim communities rarely marry among themselves, and marriages between Muslims and other communities are even rarer. In 2007, Rizwanur, a Muslim teacher and Priyanka, his Hindu student, both residents of Kolkata got married in August under the Special Marriage Act, 1954. Priyanka's family found out about the marriage only after she moved into her husband's house. After that the police had been harassing them, thrice summoning Rizwanur and Priyanka to the police headquarters, 'advising' Priyanka to return home, and even registering a case of abduction against Rizwanur. Ultimately, Priyanka went back to her father's house, after her uncle gave a written guarantee that she would return to the Rehman household in a week's time. Before that happened, Rizwanur was found dead (Bhaduri, 2010).

In the current political climate in India, where right-wing Hindu organizations are particularly strong and have been responsible, often with the collusion of agencies of the state, for organized massacres of Muslims, Hindu-Muslim relations have come under increasing strain.

Progressive Social Movements In Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu, due to strong social reform and anti-Brahmanism movements, since 19th century, progressive groups considered that inter-caste and inter-religious marriages were in national interest as they facilitate integration of different cultures. During freedom movement and immediately after independence many leaders in public life had inter-caste marriages in Tamil Nadu and Kerala. In Maharashtra, late Appa Redij was working tirelessly till the last days of his life for promotion of inter-caste marriages. He used to organise poster exhibitions, public lectures and gatherings of young people of marriageable age for spreading thought of inter-caste marriage. He never got much support or appreciation from the fellow progressive social movements of Maharashtra. But he carried on, spending from his pocket and arranging matches for youth from different caste groups. The work he did for this unusual life-mission and worthy social cause was just remarkable. In Maharashtra, we find a lot young couples marrying out of caste today. But 30 years ago, the inter-caste and inter-religious married couples used to be lone, helpless and without any support because of the rejection by their parents and community obsessed about racial purity. Till today, the caste plays fundamental role in marriage and the other important aspects are ignored, matchmaking today is still caste-matching even when it is advertised in the newspapers or assisted by marriage bureaus or internet. Appa Redij used to move all around in spite his old age. He used to arrange programmes and gettogethers; meet families of those who were married, take help of renowned social activists and ask them to write letters of support. He started an organization of all those who got married through Sugava Mishra Vivah Mandal (Sugava Mixed Marriages Association), their families & named it as Sugava Parivar i.e. Sugava Family. All those who believe in this social cause and wish that caste should not be main criteria in match-making, were also part of this Sugava Parivar. He was head of this big family of young families and well-wishers. Sugava Parivar was
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instrumental in many unique initiatives in progressive social movements in Maharashtra. One of them is Pratibimb (i.e. Mirror). Pratibimb Mishra Vivah Mandal is the one of the marriage bureaus in India dedicated to a cause of promoting marriages beyond the barriers of caste and religion. Earlier, it was operating under Sugava Mishra Vivah Mandal under guidance of Late. Appa Redij. It does not insist that one should marry only out of caste but advise that one should select the right life partner. It simply means that one should see that likes-dislikes, behaviour, ambitions, priorities and preferences, life-plans of the partner are matching and; if all types of compatibility match, then one should be ready to go beyond caste. It is heartening to note that more and more young singles are joining Pratibimb that protects socially ostracized couples against harassment and violence. It advocates that caste system is a curse on the nation; the sooner it is destroyed, the better and accepts that disapproving parents can at best snap social relations with their children without resorting to physical or psychological violence. Response of Judiciary The Supreme Court expressed concern over the growing opposition to, intimidation of, and violence against inter-caste married couples. A Bench consisting of Justices Ashok Bhan and Markandey Katju directed the administration and the police throughout the country to extend protection to such couples against harassment and initiate action against those who resorted to or instigated violence. The Bench also recommended that feudal-minded people deserve harsh punishment. Writing the judgment, Justice Katju said: "The caste system is a curse on the nation and the sooner it is destroyed, the better. In fact, it is dividing the nation at a time when we have to be united to face the challenges before the nation. Hence, inter-caste marriages are in fact in the national interest, as they will result in destroying the caste system. However, disturbing news is coming from several parts that young men and women who unite in inter-caste marriages are threatened with violence, or violence is actually committed on them." 3 Expressing anguish, the Bench said: "Such acts of violence or threats or harassment are wholly illegal and those who
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http://lawjustice-bakeelsab.blogspot.com/2011/04/honour-killing-freedom-of-inter.html (last accessed

on 12=8=2011)

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commit them must be severely punished. This is a free and democratic country and once a person becomes a major he or she can marry whosoever he or she likes. If the parents of the boy or girl do not approve of an inter-caste or inter-religious marriage, the maximum they can do is to cut off social relations with the son or the daughter, but they cannot give threats or commit or instigate acts of violence and cannot harass the person who opts for inter-caste or inter-religious marriage." 4 Referring to instances of killings of such couples, the Bench said: "There is nothing honourable about such killings, and in fact they are nothing but barbaric and shameful acts of murder committed by brutal, feudal-minded persons who deserve harsh punishment. Lata Singh (Jat) of Lucknow got married to Bramha Nand Gupta (Bania) of Delhi; both belonged to different upper castes. At the instance of the girl's brother, the boy's sisters and their families were arrested and criminal proceedings were initiated against them. Ms. Lata Singh moved the Supreme Court seeking to quash the proceedings. Allowing her petition and quashing the proceedings, the Bench said: "This case reveals a shocking state of affairs. There is no dispute that the petitioner is a major and was at all relevant times a major. Hence she is free to marry anyone she likes or live with anyone she likes. There is no bar to an inter-caste marriage under the Hindu Marriage Act or any other law. Hence, we cannot see what offence was committed by the petitioner, her husband or her husband's relatives." (The Hindu, 2006). In 2010, in Tamilnadu- the home state of Home Minister who decried honour killing in North India, seven honour killings took place in 12 weeks. (Thufail, 2010). A Dalit youth named Nagaraj and a non-Dalit girl named Sumathil of the Dindigul district, fell in love, fled to a nearby town, and got married. Hoping that things would have settled down back home, the couple returned to their village. But, the girls parents caught them and delivered a milder punishment. A goat was slaughtered and its blood was smeared on the girls forehead to declare the marriage null and void. The girl was later married off to a man of her own Caste. A few weeks later, a non-Dalit girl Sangeetha fell in love with a Dalit youth Balachandar in the same district. Both fled the village and married. But they ran out of luck as the couple was

(Indian Express, 20-11-2010).

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caught and brought back in the village. A few days later, the girl died in mysterious circumstances. Mercifully, in both the cases, Dalit youth survived death. In 2008, a Dalit named Sunkara Srinivas fell in love with a non-Dalit girl Swapna Reddy of the Nizamabad district, Andhra Pradesh, and both got married. A few months later, both were stoned to death. In the national capital, a Dalit youth Yogesh Kumar fell in love with a non-Dalit girl Asha Saini. Yet to be married, both were viciously murdered by the girls parents. Not far away from the national capital, we witnessed high drama near Greater NOIDA countryside. In July 2010, a Dalit youth named Sanjay fell in love with a non-Dalit girl Priyanka Sharma, and got married. Infuriated, the non-Dalit Panchayat has allegedly threatened to kidnap girls of the Dalit hamlet if Priyanka was not returned to her parents immediately. 5 Incidents of inter-caste marriages involving Dalits, more often Dalit male and non-Dalit women, is no news anymore. It turns into news only when parents, most often from the girl side, punish couples by murdering them (Outlook, 2008). According to a report of the Government of India, nearly 5,000 inter-Caste marriages involving Dalits took place in 2008-09. 6 The rate of social transformation seems to be faster than our heart beats. In our known history, caste has come under severe strain. Its foundations are shaking, given the fact that the twin principle of blood and occupational purity are the backbone of the caste order. The very backbone of the caste order is now fracturing. Punjab and Haryana High Court today directed Chandigarh and the states of Punjab and Haryana to publicize the centers opened for the protection of runaway couples, with the help of electronic media, radio etc. Advocates Navkiran Singh and Tanu Bedi, who are assisting the court in the case, have been asked to pay a surprise visit to the protection homes in Punjab and Haryana. The states have been directed to furnish details of number of marriages registered, counseling given to parents of runaway couples and protection offered after marriage. 7

5 6 7

www.dailypioneer.com/269827/Killing-Caste-Order.html www.dailypioneer.com/269827/Killing-Caste-Order.html nhrc.nic.in/Documents/AR/NHRC-AR-ENG07-08.pdf

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Gender Question in Identity Politics Communal forces have strengthened their hold on important spheres of the state and civil society that include subversion of constitution and judiciary and communalisation of culture, media, religion and lifestyle. Women are the major casualties in the bargain. Communal politics has always played the major role in determining rights and limits of women (IIJ 2003). Any fundamentalist propaganda that concerns itself with identity makes use of the gender question to impose rigid norms on women who are identified as repositories of culture and tradition (Sarkar, 2001). These norms manifest themselves in son-preference and female infanticide (quotation from Hindu scriptures-Blessings for newly-wed brides, Be thy mother of 100 sons, questions are asked to wife-Did any heroes of Ramayana or Mahabharata have daughters? That shows daughters are inauspicious!), glorification of sati, widow-burning). Thousands of sati temples have flourished all over India and Global Association for Glorification of Sati has its headquarter in Chicago (USA). Witch-hunting of widows as they are perceived to be inauspicious, imposition of dress code, general demeanour and the social construction of the ideal woman who submissively accepts the patriarchal norm are imposed by fundamentalists. In the last Kumbh Mela in 2001, 60000 women devotees were deserted by their brothers, sons and relatives. Allahabad police tried its best to reach them to their respective families but the family members refused to have known them. Now, the government has made a special budgetary provision for abandoned widows at the pilgrimage centres and women in difficult circumstances (Patel, 2009). 8 The fundamentalist belief also takes form of forced marriage of a widow to her brother-in-law (known as chader-nawazi) among Sikhs, Jats, Rajput castes to stop division of property. Among Muslims, the same fundamentalist forces (qazis and agents) organise mutta (temporary) marriages with ready nikahnamas and talaqnamas. Young girls are traded by their poor, illiterate, parasite and unemployed relatives in these marriages that are not registered and hence have no
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Patel, V., Fundamentalism, Communalism and gender justice in www.europe-

solidaire.org/spip.php?article13223 - Cached (last accessed on 12-8-2011) 12

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legal status. Main attraction for such contract marriages is Meher amount (cash as well as goodies). The girls are mostly cheated and sexploited (Patel, 2009). Thus prostitution under the garb of religious ceremony is perpetuated. The criminal justice system of the demanding countries and supplying countries dont take stern measures as hard-currency received through tourism is the most crucial concern in this religious form of flesh trade. The kinship network is used by the fundamentalist forces for cross-country trafficking of women. Young, frail, weeping and hungry girls are wrapped in burqa while being transported the South Asian Countries (India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangledesh) to the Gulf countries. Many die or disappear in the process. Those who survive the torturous assault are brought back to the native country by the same nexus after they become physically unusable due to sexually transmitted diseases or HIV-AIDS and mentally ill. Denial of human rights and fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution of India by the fundamentalists by imposition of dress code, not granting right to work and attacks on female headed households have been objected by womens rights groups throughout the world. Extreme form of punishment meted to women by the fundamentalists is in the form of stoning to death of an adulterous woman by the assembled community. During the last decade innumerable women in several countries have lost their lives in painful and undignified manner at the hands of self-appointed custodians of morality. Honour killing has become most widespread among all types of fundamentalists and communalists throughout Asia, Africa and the Middle East not only among the tribals, but among so called civilized sections of the nation states. Girls and boys are punished for talking or marrying boys or girls from other religious groups even in seemingly progressive states such as West Bengal and Kerala. Caste Panchayats in Hariyana have brutally killed and publicly hanged young lovers or newly married couples for inter-caste Hindu-Dalit marriages. Recently, the law court of Shariat in Nigeria has passed a judgment of stoning to death to a mother of an infant, Ms. Amina Lowal for adultery. 9 There has been an international uproar against the judgment. As a result, for the first time, the state has not executed the decision of the Shariat.
Patel, V., 2009, Empowering Harmony at the Individual and Community Level: Communalism as product of the politics of the elite of a religious community, in http://www.europe-solidaire.org/spip.php?article13669 (last accessed on 20-8-20011)
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Sex Segregation: The fundamentalist forces have prevailed upon the state to enforce sexsegregation in Iran, Albania, Sahel in West Africa, Pakhtun, Malaysia and Turkey. (Pervin, 2003). No-entry of women in the stadium and sports complexes is practiced in several theocratic states. On 22-1-2003, the chief justice of Afghanistan ordered nationwide ban on cable

television and coeducation. (WLUML, 2003). Al Badr Mujahideen and Lashkar-e-Jabbar, an offshoot of Lashkar-e-Toiba pasted a poster outside the government Higher Secondary School in Kashmir asking girls to discontinue their studies on December 19, 2002. Dress Code: Kashmir conflict has created a situation of great fear and insecurity in womens lives. Those who opposed the imposition of burqa by Kashmiri militant had to face dire consequences. A senior Shiv Sena leader, Mr. Nanak Ram Thavani has urged the federal and state governments to formulate and implement a dress code for girls in all schools, colleges and other teaching institutes. (WLUML, 2003). Within hours of the expiry of their deadline for Muslim women and girls to wear burqa, the Kashmiri fundamentalist militants killed three women, including 2 students and a teacher on the morning of 20th December, 2002 at Hasiyot in Thanamandi tehsil of Rajouri district. (The Indian Express, 27-12-2002) Girls throughout India get attacked by conservative forces for wearing denim and T shirt. Couples get beaten up for getting cozy in parks, sea beaches, attending dance parties or celebrating Valentines Day. Jan 24, 2009 attack by members of the Sri Ram Sene on young women in a Mangalore pub in which the Sene members had accused the women who go to pubs of violating Indian tradition created nationwide uproar. As a result, even Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader L.K. Advani had to say, I strongly condemn the attack on girls in Mangalore. There can be no compromise on this. It is wrong and against Indian culture and ethos. Girls and boys will have their own ways, and you may not approve, but it is wrong to attack them for it. (Patel, 2009) Moral Policing: Culture policing or moral policing is a term that is much discussed as it has devastating influence on young women. In fact, much of our society is split by the debate on culture and moral policing. (Parekh, 2009) This comes into evidence especially during Valentines Day
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celebrations. There have been instances of right-wing mobs violently attacking shops and restaurants in the past and the protests continue. Also, many young couples have been driven away from sea-fronts and beaches, by conservative factions who do not like public display of affection. There have been protests against beauty pageants and bars and pubs have been shut down. Culture or moral policing is an attempt to control the cultural and moral atmosphere prevalent in society. LGBT groups have been targeted for violent attacks and verbal abuse and face discrimination in jobs and housing. Attacks on Right to Work: Women were the first targets of theocratic states in the neo-colonial phase and the post liberation phases in the Middle Eastern, the Mediterranean and the NorthWest Frontier countries. In all these countries, women bravely fought along with their male comrades against the imperialist forces. But once, the revolution or the national liberation was attained, the fundamentalist forces dumped women into the four walls of domesticity. Arab News, the Saudi English language daily has revealed that Saudi women are more concerned about finding good work in tough jobs than being veiled. The Kashmiri militant group, Lashkar-e-Jabbar has asked Muslim women to quit their jobs and stay home, or face punishment, including death. (The Times of India, 21-1-2003). In spite of the threats by the fundamentalists women are entering male bastions such as foreign services, diplomatic missions, judiciary, military, and police force, sports such as soccer, political bodies, academic institutions, and industrial chambers even in the theocratic states. Attacks on Female Headed Households: Fundamentalists of all hues perceive female headed households as eye-sore and make all efforts to persecute, stigmatise, isolate, marginalize and terrorise deserted, divorced, single and separated women leading an independent, economically self-sufficient life with dependent children or senior citizens. They dont accept, women as heads of the household. Wherever, the fundamentalist forces have become powerful, the female-headed households face persecution and witch-hunting. Conversion of husband or wife as a conditionality for allowing couples to get married is a logical extension inward looking mentality generated by the fundamentalist mindset. Role of Womens Rights Organizations in fighting against honor Crimes: Since early eighties, women rights activists have provided protection and shelter to couples hounded by their relatives after their love-marriage. Womens groups have done lot of preventive
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work to stall honour crimes. For instance, in 1980, a Ph.D. student and a feminist activist, now a high level academician had given shelter to a Hindu woman who was being held against her wishes by her family and going through a great deal of harassment for having married a Muslim. She brought the woman to Mumbai and organized her stay with other activists until she was safe and the couple could live together.

In 2007, The Rizwanur and Priyanka tragedy in Kolkata had spurred women's groups and individuals to engage with an issue largely left untouched by civil society and the media women's right to sexual choice. On September 26, intellectuals walked in a silent march to protest Rizwanur's death and police involvement. About 500 women from all fields of life print and electronic media, literary world, artists, films, womens movement, academia, and even homemakers - participated, walking shoulder to shoulder with mostly Muslim men. Eminent litterateur and Magsaysay award winner Mahasweta Devi demanded the removal of Kolkata Police Chief Prasun Mukherjee. (Bhadir, 2010) Women's rights activists today have demanded that a stringent law be enacted to check the sudden spurt in cases of honour killings in the country. "It is a conspiracy of silence. The central government should form a stringent law to punish the people involved in the brutal killings," said Kiran Bedi, the country's first woman IPS officer. Speaking at a discussion on 'Honour killing or violation of Legal and Human Rights?' here, Bedi stressed on the need for government bodies, judiciary, police, media and the masses to work in tandem to eradicate the evil. Womens groups have demanded a national Helpline to protect couples choosing to marry a partner of their choice. (CSR & WPC, 2010) In a meeting organised by the Centre for Social Research and WomenPowerConnect (WPC), womens rights activists stated We appeal to the Prime Minister to break his silence on the issue and take this matter in his own hands. The issue of dis honour killings needs to be addressed on an urgent basis as it has already led to the deaths of numerous young innocent couples. We are also going to seek an urgent appointment with the honourable President to ensure that she takes up needful action so that the Indian society gets rid of this social malice," Highlighting the need for a multi-pronged strategy to address this problem, Dr. Kiran Bedi said, Dis honour killings are India's knee jerk reaction to modernisation. The problem is deep
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rooted and the home Ministry or the Police cannot control and prevent it alone. A multi pronged strategy would involve coordinated efforts from all ministries. A national research should be conducted by the Bureau of Police Research and Development and also by the National Commission of Women to assess the extent of the problem. The Ministry of Panchayati Raj needs to ban such verdicts that justify killing of couples in the name of honour. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting should bring out advertisements to publicise helpline numbers for couples seeking to marry outside their village/caste/gotra. Similarly the Ministry of HRD has the responsibility to prevent such a social menace by designing a curriculum for the future generation; the idea is to educate the society as a whole and make them responsible citizens. The Ministry of Youth Affairs should promote youth clubs for both men and women to make the society more open minded and tolerant. Finally, the Ministry of Women and Child have a great responsibility to strengthen the roles and positions of women in the society because such problems impact women most. The Government and the Honourable Prime Minster need to address this problem in totality and not in isolation". The year 2010 saw a sudden spurt in the cases of dis honour killings in Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Haryana. These cases cut across all cultures, communities and background and it appears the reasons are not merely related to same 'gotra' marriages. Parents, siblings, and villagers are opting to eliminate their sons and daughters who are choosing to marry a person of their choice. The cases of Manoj and Babli, Nirupama Pathak, Kuldeep & Monika, and several others that have made headlines on the front page of the leading newspapers are reflective of the urgency that is required to address these cold blooded murders.

The government has been facing pressure and urgency from all corners to address this problem. Therefore, recently the government announced to set up a group of ministers (GoM) to work out details for an effective law against honour killings. Expressing great concern over the recent spurt in honour killings in different parts of the country, the Government is working towards bringing a Bill during the coming monsoon session of Parliament to check the incidents of this heinous crime. The BJP too recently said that honour killings were cold-blooded murders and demanded setting up of fast-track courts to deal with such cases. Feminist Understanding of Khap panchayats
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The Khap has been a system of social administration and organization in the north-western states of India since ancient times. These khaps are spread all the way from Northwest India down to Madhya Pradesh, Malwa, Rajasthan, Sindh, Multan, Punjab, Haryana, and modern Uttar Pradesh. Although their rulings have no legal validity they are very powerful and are successful in keeping with their so-called traditions. Recurrently the khap panchayats and their leaders are being seen as protectors of the poor but in fact they are aggressors towards these underprivileged couples / families. Instead of helping them, they try to impose their judgments on them. Their tyranny is mostly felt in traditional rural habitations since very little or no cases have been reported from urban areas. Their autocracy is specifically evident in the Sarv Khap of Haryana; whose influence extends to the Malwa province in Central India, Rajasthan and Sindh. The khap panchayats have a great effect on the people's life and the society as a whole. These effects can be either of political, social or economical nature. Cases taken up by womens groups During 2009-2010, womens organizations have intervened in the following cases of honour related violence by Khaps. Although their rulings have no legal validity, there is long list of uncivilized 'punishments' meted out to those couples that 'offended' the khap traditions. A couple of examples are: 10

On July 24, 2009, a khap panchayat 'banished' the couple Ravinder and Shilpa and Ravinder's entire family from their village. The khap panchayat ordered their banishment on the ground that Ravinder is a 'Gehlot' from Dharana, and Shilpa is a 'Kadyan' from Siwah, in Panipat. Now, Ravinder and Shilpa live in Delhi, but they require police escort if they would want to visit their village.

The villagers of Singhwal lynched Ved Pal Mor in the very presence of the police, because he married a girl from the same gotra.

http://www.dancewithshadows.com/politics/khap-panchayats-of-haryana-order-death-exile-and-socialostracism/ and http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article1710337.ece and http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/health/khap-panchayats-no-room-for-a-parallel-justice-systemcomment_100362369.html and http://www.newkerala.com/news/fullnews-106093.html (last accessed on 12-82011)

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In June 2009, a khap panchayat forced Manoj and his wife Babli to drink pesticide. An order by the High Court to give police protection to the couple was in vain.

In June 2009, another couple, Anita and Sonu, who had 'violated' the khap propriety, were tricked to return to their village, only to be stabbed to death in public.

In April 2010, the khaps imposed such a heavy financial penalty on a family of Rajasthan that there was no other alternative for them than to commit suicide. Five members of the family jumped before a running train and took their lives.

These incidences highlighted the psychological fear and the tremendous pressure that these khaps generate on the minds of rural poor. Womens rights organisations have compared the Khap Panchayat justice to the Taliban type kangaroo courts. The comparison is not entirely true but to pass verdicts by people and to take over the authority to act as prosecutors and judges in many cases without having the legal authority to do so, should not be allowed in this era. There should be a strict law against honour killings in India which punishes all those responsible for violating the law. Womens groups such as All India Democratic Womens Association has demanded ban on such parallel systems of justice. The courts and government need to speedily curtail their powers. According to Dr. Ranjana Kumari, President of WomenPowerConnect, The rising number of honour killings in the capital reflects the Talibanisation of society, adding that the central government should enact a law to put down the pernicious practice. Womens Groups have started signature campaign to request President of India to ban honour killing. (Hindustan Times, 22-6-2010). AIDWA states, The recent spate of Honour killings in Delhi and other parts of the country have outraged all democratic minded people of our country. The right of any individual to choose their life partner is a basic democratic right. This right is guaranteed by the norms of any democratic, civilized society as well as by the Indian Constitution. However, the brutality, barbarism and impunity with which young couples are being murdered in the name of castecommunity-family honour are a matter of great shame and reflect serious lacunae in the

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criminal justice system as well as the lack of decisive political will on part of the government towards curbing such incidents. 11 The recent spate of Honour killings in Delhi, which has outraged the nation, is just the tip of the iceberg. The Asha Saini-Yogesh Kumar Jatav murders or the Kuldeep-Monica-Shobha murders have come to light either because aggrieved members of the family lodged complaints with the Police or the cases came under media scrutiny. Asha Saini and Yogesh were bound, beaten, stabbed and electrocuted to death by Ashas father Suraj Kumar Saini and uncle Om Prakash. Her mother, Maya, aunt Khushboo and cousin Sanjeev were also involved. The killings of Monica and her husband Kuldeep, four years after marriage, along with sister Shobha, by Monicas brothers Ankit Gujjar and Mandeep Nagar, with their friend Nakul Khari were clearly premeditated murders. They were shot to death. Monicas cousin Khushboo who recently married outside her caste also faces threat. Monicas uncle, Dharmaveer Nagar, who has been seen openly justifying the murders, has been correctly arrested for making provocative statements amounting to incitement of violence. Similar stern steps are also necessary against all such elements including representatives of Khap Panchyats elsewhere in the country. The real test in these cases, however, will be the strength of investigation and prosecution against the culprits. It must be ensured that watertight cases are prepared in both these cases against the accused and the Police do not file weak charge sheets in the courts and allow the accused to either escape scot-free or evade deserving punishments. The perpetrators of these brutal and premeditated murders, those involved in the conspiracy to murder as well as those providing logistical and other support and justification must be awarded exemplary punishments without delay. Yogeshs sister Renu must also get full protection by the State, since complainants are often coerced, threatened and intimidated. While dealing with such offenses, the government must not lose sight of the gender component of these crimes. It is not a coincidence that honour crimes are generally perpetrated by the womans family, as is evident from the recent cases in Delhi as well as other instances like Nirupama Pathak, Nitish Katara, etc. Numerous instances of such murders do not even reach the purview of the criminal-justice system. Several young girls are killed by family members at the
11

www.stophonourkillings.com/?q=it/node/4776 (last accessed on 12-8-2011)

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mere whiff of possible interest in a boy of another caste-community. These deaths are passed off as natural deaths. Provisions need to be made to monitor any sudden death, particularly of young girls, to deter such crimes. Moreover, other forms of violence to prevent or nullify own-choice or love marriages need to be brought within the purview of suitable and related laws. These include public humiliation, threats, physical assault, sexual assault, forced marriages, denial of property share, etc. Consenting families are also coerced or victimized through various extraconstitutional means like social boycott, economic victimization, forced removal from place of residence etc. Womens rights organizations in Delhi have stated that the Delhi Police often plays a negative role in instances where young couples escape from hostile family members in order to get married. The Police are proactive in registering complaints of kidnapping on the charge of family members. Couples are often traced, exposed to the hostile pressures of their families or restored to the custody of their respective families. If the families of either party play a supportive role, intimidation and threat are used by the Police to pressurize the consenting family to produce the couple. Efforts are made to prevent or nullify marriages. Even in event of marriage, if the girl succumbs under pressure or is unaware of her rights, cases of rape are registered against the boy. The threat of registering such cases is also used to exert pressure to withdraw from the relationship. At a time when the Supreme Court has issued notices to the Centre as well as several State governments regarding measures undertaken to prevent honour killings, any reply that does not uncover the truth behind cases of kidnapping registered by the Police will be incomplete and evasive. The provisions for couples desiring security are also extremely problematic. Only a DCP level officer can evaluate the perception of threat and sanction police protection. It is extremely difficult for ordinary citizens to obtain such a security cover. Otherwise, a couple has to approach the courts, which in turn can order police protection. Instances where such protection is provided are rare. The case of Gurleen and her mother-in-law who were hacked to death in Tarn Taran while under the protection of the Punjab and Harayana High Court exposes the callous approach towards such protection. Kuldeep and Monica had also applied for police protection, but ultimately in vain. Instances where families conspire against couples for months and years after marriage are coming to light. They demonstrate the futility of adopting a mechanical
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approach towards security. Provision of security in combination with a proactive approach wherein family members, relatives and self-appointed custodians of honour like khap panchayats are made culpable for a combination of disciplinary action in event of any harm to a couple will produce better results. It is a matter of common knowledge that the Special Marriages Act of 1954 allows for civil marriages between consenting adults. However, the provisions of this Act amount to nothing less than discouraging own choice marriages. Provisions like a minimum waiting period of one month, proof of birth, proof of at least 30 days of residence in the concerned district, copy of ration card for proof of permanent residence or authentication by SHO or a gazetted officer, public notice as well as notice of information served to family members, etc. make this Act very difficult to employ in case of marriages that are opposed by family members. The provisions of this Act undoubtedly need to be simplified to facilitate own choice marriages. Well publicized and easily accessible bodies need to be made so that couples opting for own choice marriages can easily inform the government about their intentions and avoid unjust police action and harassment. Safe shelters and other support also need to be provided to such couples. All this requires the formulation of a comprehensive law against honour killings in our country. The most alarming aspect of this entire sorry state of affairs is the impunity with which family members, panchayats or community members are justifying and glorifying such murders. Their confidence is emanating from the tentative and unprincipled approach shown by the government towards such crimes. Statements in support of Khap Panchayats by Haryana CM or MPs like Navin Jindal are only providing strength to such elements. Paying lip service against honour killings while endorsing the very bodies that are taking a lead in perpetrating such crimes smacks of not only opportunism, but also sheer disregard towards the law of the land. Such acts by elected members also merit strict action. They cannot be explained away as mere compulsions of electoral politics. Our parliamentary democracy is guided by the principles enshrined in the Indian Constitution. Political mobilizations that are based on undermining and challenging those very principles must be firmly dealt with. It is disappointing that no such resolve has been visible on part of the government yet. It is clear that more and more young citizens of our country are opting for own choice marriages. No one should be allowed to violate this basic democratic right in the name of tradition or
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honour. Families, relatives and extra constitutional bodies that are taking the law into their own hands need to be disciplined. The Union government must take a lead in ensuring that all practices that violate democratic rights enshrined in the Constitution are confronted without fail. Any other approach would only prove that the government is willing to turn a blind eye to gross criminal practices while maintaining a faade of modernity, democracy and progress.

CWDS (Centre for Womens Development and Studies) in collaboration with All India Democratic Womens Association and Saheli organized a convention in New Delhi to focus attention on honour killings and called for resolute legal and political action against such incidents. At the Convention, Geeta was one of the participants who narrated her horror story. She wore a woolen cap, which hid most of her face. She told that in 2003, within two months of her marriage her husband Jasbir was hacked to death, in front of her. Geeta belongs to the Rajput community while Jasbir was a Jat Sikh. A widow at 20, Geeta has vowed to see to it that the people behind her husband's murder are brought to justice. Today, she is facing great economic and social hardship and has armed security guards as there is a threat to her and her mother-in-law's lives. They are the main witnesses to the murder. Geeta's painful experience points to the frightening realities that exist in Indian society, despite the ruling group's claims of a feel-good factor. Honour-killings, which are widespread in some of the economically advanced States, is an example. Perpetrated under the garb of saving the honour of the community, caste or family, such incidents occur often as the State governments are not keen to take action. The acts of violence include social boycott, public lynching of couples, murder of either the man or the woman concerned, attack on family members, murder made to appear as suicide, public beatings, humiliation, blackening of the face, forcing couples or their families to eat excreta or drink urine, forced incarceration, social boycotts and the levying of fines. (Rajalakshmi, 2010). During last 2 years, more than 3 dozens of honour killings have been recorded in Haryana, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh, at least 13 honour killings occurred within nine months in 2003. In

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2002, while 10 such killings were reported, 35 couples were declared missing. AIDWA estimates that Haryana and Punjab alone account for 10 per cent of all honour killings in the country. 12 The Central government's stand on the issue was clear last year when S.S. Ahluwalia, Bharatiya Janata Party member of the Rajya Sabha, contested the claim of the United Nations Special Rapporteur that honour killings occurred in India. Ahluwalia was speaking in his capacity as the Indian representative at the U.N.'s Social, Humanitarian and Cultural Committee. He is reported to have said: "Selective reproduction of unsubstantiated reports, which are based on hearsay, seriously affects the credibility and importance of the report." He was referring to U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan's report, which stated that the Special Rapporteur continued to receive reports of so-called honour killings from India and other countries. In Delhi, members of Saheli, an autonomous women's group, came together to raise slogans and petition the public on the issue. They held up posters that read, Protect The Right To Love Across Caste Barriers', 'There Is No Honor In Killing' and 'Hands Up Against Killings'. In a strongly worded statement Saheli projected feminist standpoint in these manner, We read with shock and outrage about the Khap Maha Panchayat held in Kurukshetra on the 13thof April 2010 at which over 4000 khap panchayat members from Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Delhi vowed to fight for the seven people convicted recently in an honour-killing case. They valorised those who killed Babli (19) and Manoj (23) and argued that those who murdered them honoured traditional values which must be upheld. The khaps decided to collect money from all Khap members to provide support to the convicted and vowed to mobilise public opinion against the court order. They also decided to give 1 lakh Rupees to the families of those convicted. Such barbaric acts and support of these acts must be condemned. No caste or community has the license to kill under any pretext, nor to glorify such murders. (Saheli, 2010). In June 2007, Babli and Manoj from Karoran village near Kaithal in Haryana were killed. The sin for which they were fatally punished was that they married each other against the wishes of
12

http://www.frontlineonnet.com/fl2103/stories/20040213001205000.htm and www.mrtrrt.gov.au/ArticleDocuments/87/IND32577.pdf.aspx (last accessed 12-8-2011)

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Bablis family. Bablis familys disapproval was linked to both of them belonging to the same gotra (lineage). This led the panchayat to declare the marriage as void and a witch-hunt for the two was ordered. Within a month of their marriage, they were tracked down and brutally murdered by Bablis family members to uphold the verdict of the khap panchayat. Babli was poisoned and Manoj was strangled. Their bodies were thrown into a canal. As in most cases of so called honour killings, in this case too the killers were family members; Bablis brother, two of her cousins, two uncles and a distant relative. The couple had clearly feared the violent reaction from the community, because when they eloped and got married they had sought protection from the High Court in Chandigarh which in turn had directed the Haryana Police to provide them with security. The policeman who was deployed to provide them security is suspected of revealing their whereabouts to Babli's family! He is currently facing departmental action. Manojs mother, Chanderpati, refused to take this lying down and decided to fight to get justice. She filed a complaint with the police and also approached the Punjab and Haryana High Court for justice. Chanderpati lives a very difficult life because she has been ostracised by the villagers. They do not speak to her, do not sell her any groceries and blame her for wanting to seek justice. This is believed to be one of the first instances in Haryana where an affected family has gone to court against such a killing. As a result of this case, a court in Karnal (Haryana) held 7 people guilty and pronounced its Judgment in April 2010. Those sentenced to death were all family members of Babli. The head of the panchayat in Haryana's Kaithal district, which ruled against the couple's marriage, has been given life imprisonment and a driver found to have helped abduct the couple was given a seven-year prison term. This verdict was pronounced by Additional District and Sessions Judge Vani Gopal Sharma, who herself unfortunately is facing threats for this judgment and has been provided a security cover by the Karnal Police. She continues to face the Khaps ire and has recently requested a transfer. This was not the first time that Haryana's Khap panchayats have come in the way of lovers. In many cases diktats have been made against young couples who are believed to have crossed community and caste rules and familial authority. In many cases the real threat appears to have been choice marriage itself. (Although in some cases marriages arranged by the parents of a
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couple have similarly faced Khap-terror because it was found out later that the couples were of the same gotra). These pronouncements have often led to many young lives being brutally snuffed out. While we hail the judgment made in the District and Sessions Court as a step in the right direction to bring not only the killers but also the khap panchayats to task, we do not support the death penalty. It is important that steps are taken to curtail the powers of these self-styled panchayats which function contrary to rights laid down in the Constitution and act as a law unto themselves. It is also extremely important to strengthen peoples faith in the police and judiciary so they can complain against such diktats that deny the right to life and liberty and the right to choice marriages. There are no official statistics on the number of honour killings in India, but media reports are full of such cases where young couples are driven to suicide or killed by family members for marrying outside caste, community, or within the village and gotra. It is extremely important to recognise these socalled honour killings as a crime and find ways to prevent these killings. Not only has the Khap mahapanchayat held on the 13th of April, 2010 glorified the killers, but they have also given a loud and clear message to the government that caste and family honour is above the law. They also demanded that the Hindu Marriage Act be amended to ban

marriages within the same gotra for the sake of restoring social norms. Saheli has demanded: - That further action is taken against the Khap leaders who made statements at the Khap Mahapanchayat that amount to the glorification of murder and the valourisation of the killers. - That the State Governments and Courts take suo motu cognizance of various media reports and institute an enquiry into incidents of honour killings in Northern India. - That state governments take strict action to protect the rights of citizens to choose their own partners. - Strong action be taken against all those who have threatened Sessions Judge Vani Gopal Sharma to ensure that the members of the judiciary are not intimidated in this manner. - That action is taken against all those policemen who did not perform their duty, leading to the killing of Babli and Manoj. The ugly nexus between Khap leaders, the police, and local politicians should be exposed to ensure that fundamental rights laid down in our Constitution are upheld.
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In Andhra Pradesh, nearly 200 couples, who were part of inter-caste and inter-religious marriages, attended a meeting to share and discuss their experiences. We got married in 92. It was a big deal then. We were harassed and became the centre of attention for everyone in Hyderabad. We have two daughters, now but we made sure that their minds are free from these prejudices, says General Secretary of Andhra Pradesh Kula Nirmulana Sangham, Md. Waheed. The Womens Sangham made arrangements to felicitate and celebrate the achievement of the couples. Since childhood, thanks to my parents, I was unaware of my caste. It is important for parents to keep children away from the perils of caste and religious bias says G. Ujwal, an IBM employee, who married Rekha of a different caste. We belong to no religion or caste. Caste did not make any difference to us and we want to spread this message to others, says Rekha. Most of the couples pointed out that inter-caste and inter-religious marriages do pose practical difficulties in getting adjusted with society. In schools, they insist that we mention our caste during admissions. We have always maintained that we are Indians first, points out Jyothi, wife of Mr. Waheed. Many Sangham members said that the State was not passing on the incentives, which were launched by the Central government for inter-religious and inter-caste couples. The Central government provides Rs. 50,000 to such couples. However, that incentive never trickles down. Our organisation, till date, has counseled and conducted over 1,000 inter-caste and inter-religious marriages, says Waheed (The Hindu Jan 27, 2010). They swam against the tide to break new ground and in the process, set examples for others. Even today, some of them maintain that they remain in the fringes and society does not accept them for what they are. Yet, they came out to spread the message of a casteless society. Progressive multi-caste and multi-religious social movements are great moral boosters for such couples as they provide them democratic space in their day to day life. Social Security from the State Governments

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In the post independence period, several state governments have been making financial allocation to give monetary awards to couples choosing inter-caste marriages. There is a special financial allocation in the state budgets for the same. 13 Last year, Maharashtra government decided to gift Rs 50,000 to a couple opting for inter-caste marriage. The state cabinet took the decision with the view to abolish caste system in the state by encouraging inter-caste marriages, an official from CMO said. Earlier, the amount was Rs 15,000, he added. The government would give a cheque of Rs 20,000 and invest Rs 25,000 in postal savings scheme, Indira Vikas Patra, in the name of the couple. The remaining amount would be given in form of marriage expenditure or household things, the official said. The government has been implementing the scheme from 1958 and 50 per cent of the fund is given by the Centre. 14 Government of Uttar Pradesh declared cash incentive and interest-free loan to couples opting for inter-caste or inter-religion marriages to set up cottage industries, a national integration department spokesman said (Times of India : 05-10-2009). "On application, such couples may get interest-free loan of upto Rs 15,000 subject to approval by the district industries centre," he said. The loan sanctioned will be payable after a period of two years in 10 equal half-yearly installments. "Such couples will also get a cash reward of Rs 10,000 and a medal," the spokesman said. Womens rights groups recommend that the state should include support system for women whose rebellious marriages fail. Notions of romance and right to personal freedom do not make these marriages immune to patriarchal forces. Feminists have critiqued traditional notions of love and romance. The meager family support available to women who marry with family consent is also denied to women in cases where they have made choices going against the family. Conclusion Attempts to end honour crimes need the involvement of the local community. Crimes of honour are part of a continuum of violence against women that spreads across time and place (Sen, Purna, 2005) Ban on inter-caste, inter-religious and inter-racial marriages signifying
13

http://socialjustice.nic.in/pdf/arpcr07.pdf (last accessed on 29th August 2011) http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/other-states/article79640.ece (last accessed on 29th August 2011)

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obsession about racial, caste and religious purity are so deep in the psyche of statusquoists and fundamentalists that have strong aversion against inter-mixing and inter-marriages among citizens of different caste groups, religious communities and racial backgrounds. Newspapers are full of incidences of torture, abduction, forced abortion, lynching, and murder of newly married couples with different caste, religious, ethnic or racial backgrounds. Even the state and criminal justice system miserably fail to provide adequate protection to such love marriages. Such couples have to face social boycott, cant easily get jobs, accommodation and school admissions for their children. Though womens groups are silently supporting such couples, the enormous advocacy work is missing as peoples movements have only paternalistic concern on the issue. Strict law against honour killings in India which punishes all those responsible for violating the law will have to be backed by grass roots movements promoting secular humanism and respect for multicultural ethos. References: Bhadir, Aditi (2007) When Will Women Come of Age? Delhi: Women Feature Service, Oct. 21. Centre for Social Research & Women Power Connect (2010) Women leaders condemn Dis honour killings, Delhi. www.shaktivahini.wordpress.com/category/honor-killings Chakravarty, Uma (2005) From Fathers to Husbands in Lyn Welchman and Sara Hossain (Ed.) Honour ,London: Zed Books, Spinifex Press, Melbourne. Chopra, Rohit and Jyoti Punwani (2005) Discovering the Other, Discovering the Self: Inter Religious Marriages among Muslims in the Greater Mumbai Area, India in Abdullahi An-Naim (Ed.) Inter-Religious Marriages among Muslims Negotiating Religion and Social Identity in Family and Community, Delhi: Global Media Publications. Desai, Neera (2006) Feminism as Experience: Thoughts and Narratives, SPARROW, Mumbai. Gupta, Dipankar (2004) Caste in Question: Identity or Hierarchy? Delhi: Sage Publications. IIJ (2003) Threatened Existence: A Feminist Analysis of the Genocide in Gujarat, International Initiative for Justice, Mumbai: New Age Printing Press. Mathur, Kanchan (2007) Countering Gender Violence: Initiatives Towards Collective Action in Rajasthan, London: Sage Publications. 2007.
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N.F.H.S. (2006) National Family Health survey, Mumbai: International institute of Population Studies. Narayan, Anjana (2003) "Home and the World: Inter-Religious Marriages in India" Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Sociological Association, Atlanta Hilton Hotel, Atlanta, GA, Aug 16, 2003 Online <.PDF>. 2010-10-16 <http://www.allacademic.com/meta/p107363_index.html> Outlook (2008) Honour Killing is Act of Barbarism, July 8. Parekh, Bhikhu (2008) A New Politics of Identity: Political Principles for an Interdependent World, New York: Palgrave Macmillan. Patel, Vibhuti (2009) Fundamentalism, Communalism & Gender Justice, http://www.europesolidaire.org/spip.php?article13223 Pevrin (1997) www.voiceagainsttorture.org.pk/web/user_files/File/newsletter, April, 2004, Vol.11 Puniani, Ram (Ed.) (2005) Religion, Power and Violence, Sage Publications, Delhi. Rajalakshmi, T.K. (2003) Murder for Http://www.hinduonnet.com/fline/fl2103/stories/20040213001205000.htm `honour'

Rege, Sharmila (2010) Indian Feminists Should Reclaim Ambedkar organized by Indira Gandhi National Open University's (IGNOU, Delhi) Dr BR Ambedkar Chair on Social Change and Development . Sarkar, Tanika (2001) Hindu Wife, Hindu Nation: Community, Religion and Cultural Nationalism New Delhi: Permanent Black. Shah, Ghanshyam (2001) Dalit Identity and Politics, New Delhi: Sage Publications. Saheli (2010) New Delhi www.stophonourkillings.com/?q=fr/taxonomy/term/769 Sen, Purna (2005) Crimes of Honour: Value and Meaning in Lyn Welchman and Sara Hossain (Ed.) Honour, London: ZED BOOKS. Spinifex Press, Melbourne. The-doomed-love-story-of-Rizwanur-Priyanka,www.infochangeindia.org/htmlIzzat-ka-mamlahaiTimes of India (2010) Government of Maharashtra, Mumbai Edition, 12th January. The Hindu (2006), Killing Caste Order. July 8. Thufail P.T. (2010) Seven Honour Killings in 12 Weeks, Delhi: Tehelka, October, 23.
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WLUML (2003) Women Living Under Muslim Law, An appeal for Action, www.wluml.org/english/newsbyregion.shtml?cmd%5B53%5D=c-1-Miscellaneous - 22k.
(The author gratefully acknowledges helpful comments given by veteran feminist Sonal Shukla to the first draft of this paper. The author is responsible for the views and all errors in the paper.)

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