In the name of Honour
A court in Karnal, Haryana, today awarded the death penalty to 5 of 6 Khap Panchayat members accused (the 6th one got life imprisonment) in a honour killing case. Two young people - killed simply because a village decided that their marriage was not valid.
I am somewhat undecided on the whole issue of capital punishment, but I cannot help thinking that simply from a deterrent perspective, this can only be a good thing. About a week ago, I saw a programme on NewsX which covered the issue of honour killings in detail, mostly cases involving couples from the same gotra or village, which people in Haryana consider incestuous. (NewsX btw, is one of the few news channels in the current milieu that makes a sincere attempt to avoid sensationalism and get into the details of an issue, so do give it a try if if you haven’t before.)
Many of those interviewed for that program were from villages in Haryana and they had no qualms in admitting before the camera that such marriages were ‘wrong’ and death was a fair punishment. They also bragged that they would prefer to go to jail rather than countenance such marriages. What was startling to see was that even the younger members of Khap panchayats, in their 30s, justified such punishments. Mention tradition, and it’s all good, of course.  I could not help thinking that the reason they were so blase about it was because they knew that the chances of their being successfully prosecuted were very low.
In many cases, both families are involved in the killing, so who would pursue the case? Then, even if someone does, there is immense pressure and social ostracism that makes them give up the case midway. Our super-slow judicial system adds to the low conviction rate. Effectively, most killers get away.
With this verdict, at least the courts have sent out a strong signal that this need not be the case.
I grew up in that area and know first hand that this is far more prevalent than reported in national news. If you pick up the local newspaper of the area, almost everyday, and I mean everyday, there will be a small news piece in some corner (these news aren’t big, you see). It will usually say that police found the bodies of young couple who according to their family “eloped”. The family, of course, stick to their story that they eloped and decline to pursue the matter further with the police. Everyone knows that it was an honor killing, everyone knows that family is involved but how and what can be done?
Have you heard about Mahender Singh Tikait? He is a big local farmer leader in the area (west UP and Haryana). He once issued a public statement: “We live by a moral code where honour has to be protected at any cost…Love marriages are dirty, I don’t even want to repeat the word…Only whores can choose their partners.” (TOI published it a while back). that’s where those youngster you talked about get their ideas of honor. Leaders (= good orators) like that can influence a young mind so easily..
But these honor killings are not restricted to this area. My father hails from Eastern UP while my mom is from Bihar. Things are same there as well if not worse.
This an evil which is a result of caste system in India.We have learnt our lessons because for us politics is important than human life.
All what have written is fine, BUT, are we not extending reservations on the basis of caste?
We create a monster and then we complain.
I can’t understand these egotistical men (and I say men because it is they who make the rules)who value honour more than family and human life…What is honour? As I see it, honour is nothing but the possession of commodities and to some men, women are nothing but objects, not human beings endowed with dignity and rights equal to those of men…
For a change, the courts have done the right thing…
I was really glad to read this news. I think this would (for the first time I think) make them see what they do as dangerous to themselves. I am sure if five men are hanged there will be some fear before they plan their next murders.
@ Richa - Thank you for those inputs; it really is a shame how slowly these things change. Politicians such as Tikait endorse such things because of their own regressive codes as well as to pander to a vote bank. I did not know that it was a big issue in UP/Bihar as well - the ones in the news seem to be coming from Haryana and Punjab.
@ Chowla-ji - true, it is a result of caste; on the issue of reservations, the way it is being implemented (a permanent grant rather than time-bound program) is in a sense incentivizing people to organize themselves even more strongly on a caste basis, though honour killings per se I don’t think are anything to do with reservations.
@ Bones - in fact, the khap panchayats are comprised entirely of men. I think part of the fear of women marrying into the same village relates to ownership of land - if a girl gets married to a boy from the same village, it is easier for her to demand her share than if she were away?
@ IHM - I fervently hope so.
@apu
I think it’s also about control…Men decide women’s fates and when a woman goes decides for herself, they’ve lose honour i.e. control…
@B K CHOWLA
It’s not just a result of the caste system…Islamic societies too have this problem…And if it were just due to caste, why isn’t it so much of a problem in other regions of the country?
Bones - yes, control of women and indirectly, land and money does usually play a big role in these things. I don’t know if Mr. Chowla plans to respond, but for my part, I would say that caste does play a role, though it is not the ONLY factor. It’s basically about the drawing of boundaries, and caste is one of those boundaries. Religion, income, sect, age, family status - all these are other boundaries that come into play.
Not sure if capital punishment is ever a deterrent.Also, the possibility of people being arrested for the same is less when one considers that the neighborhood police are also probably from the same community and share the same opinions.There was a very interesting article on the Khap panchayats in Tehelka sometime back (link below) :
http://www.tehelka.com/story_main42.asp?filename=Ne150809a_taliban.asp .
love still thrives at such a place, eh?
Barbaric. These are the kind of behavior that makes you wonder when those parts of the country will move into the 21st century. I am glad that there is finally a judgment on such behavior!
@ Bala - that link is chilling and depressing. As you say, the arrests are low precisely because the local police are part of the same mindset.. Nevertheless, don’t you the think the possibility of justice catching up with one will make the panchayats think twice?
@ Reema - yes, I am astonished at the bravery of these young men and women who would know fully well the kind of society they live in.
@ Aurita - true. In many places, things move so slowly that 20th or 21st C. makes no difference!
I object to honour killing. The guys killing people should be indeed be punished. It’s all about one country with many laws i.e Sharia, Khap laws etc. overlaping constitutional laws. Most importantly the our constitutional laws are out dated and need to be modified to accomodate the current environment.
Unfortunately marrying to your sister is not a punishable act under Hindu marriage act. People were following moral code of conduct if now they don’t there should be changes to the act as well.
These Khaps are really giving a tragic end to the incident instead of teaching moral to their kids. But in the past Vedic people has strict code of marriage of NOT marrying their near relatives. That’s how we were different from Muslims. Is there any law on it? if not there should be some?
Thanks
Khap law is NOT a law; it is misleading to say that it is a law overlapping constitutional law, it is more a case of people BREAKING constitutional laws.
I doubt marrying one’s sister is allowed as per the Hindu marriage act. (Not sure of other religions/Sharia etc). However, people simply belonging to one’s gotra don’t qualify as “brothers” or “sisters”.