The Truth about Honour Killings in India
Since time immemorial, honour killings have taken place in India and been hushed to preserve ‘family honour.’ Studies and news reports indicate that caste based panchayats have also played a part in continuing this to prevent young lovers from marrying from different gotras.
In a powerful democracy like India, it is a shame that we have no legal safeguards to address this crime that has steadily increased over the last few decades.
We have every right to ask these questions:
- Have the police investigated these crimes thoroughly?
- Do we have transparency about how such investigations are carried out?
- Why is the judiciary silent?
Here are some shocking facts about honour killings in India:
- Socially, no marriage alliance is permitted between a man and a woman who belong to the same caste but different gotras.
- States such as Haryana, Punjab and western Uttar Pradesh, rural areas in Delhi and some areas in South India continue to witness honour killings.
- The Punjab and Haryana High Courts are flooded with applications from young couples, seeking protection from caste panchayats.
Amendment of IPC to Include Honour Killings as a Separate Offence
The Indian government has decided to amend the Indian Penal Code (IPC) to ensure that honour killings are treated as a separate offence so as to provide deterrent punishment.
The problem with honour killings is that investigation of this offence may not make progress because the victim's family is usually responsible for it and therefore, keep the actual facts concealed. Without evidence, nothing can be done by the courts to pass a fair judgment. Further, legislative intervention cannot weed out this offence unless there is better public awareness about this issue.
Hi,
The right point made in this issue is the public awareness on the same.
But how can goverment bring about public awareness for these in the remote states and how this can be better governed.
Unless individual transform, or the education gets into a massive foot print, nothing can bring about a reform.
Rgds,
Bharathy
Dear Bharathy,
You are absolutely right in raising these valid points. Actual reforms take place only when more and more individuals in a society make a concerted effort to bring it into the social system. It takes vision and conviction to initiate such reforms in the society and as you rightly pointed out, it begins with the individual. On this platform, our purpose is to simplify law and create better awareness so that each of us can spread the beacon of knowledge to those who have not yet understood it.
Thank you for sharing these valid points with us.
Legally yours,
LIG Team
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