With the rise of casteism and communalism in recent days the incidents of honour crimes are also increasing alarmingly. Young men and women are getting killed or otherwise punished for marrying outside their caste or faith in the name of family honour. The rise of such inhuman crimes is mostly due to the rightwing communal propaganda and politics. The government has a duty to protect lives of its citizens and their rights. Its non-action makes it complicit. Way back in 2012 the Law Commission of India proposed a law to address this menace. It drafted a bill called Prohibition of Interference with the Freedom of Matrimonial Alliances Bill. The bill could not be passed as political parties did not want to lose supports of groups like Khap Panchayats who openly commit and encourage honour crimes. This is a well drafted bill that ill aims to keep a “check on the high-handed and unwarranted interference by the caste assemblies or panchayats with sagotra, inter-caste or inter-religious marriages, which are otherwise lawful… .” It also recommends a “threshold bar against the congregation or assembly for the purpose of disapproving such marriage/intended marriages and the conduct of the young couple… .” Such assemblies encouraging the criminal intimidation of couples can, according to the bill, attract an imprisonment of up to one year and be liable to a fine of up Rs 30,000. The bill also proposes to make honour crimes cognisable, non-bailable and non-compoundable. Modi government should pass this bill into law to prevent killings and other crimes committed in the name family honour and to protect basic human rights to life and freedom to choose life-partner.
Posted on: Fri, 28 Nov 2014 04:56:47 +0000
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