'DNA' exclusive: New law against honour killing

Concerned with the regressive mindset of a section of the male-dominated society that uses the term “honour” to justify killing of young couples who marry outside their castes, the Centre is contemplating amendment to the election law to outcast those involved in the dastardly crime.

If this gets approval of parliament, an accused involved in “honour killing” would lose the right to vote or contest any election.

However, the government doesn’t want to burden the Indian Penal Code with any additional provision to deal with an individual or members of a pachayat or `khap’ panchayats responsible for such brutal murdering couples in love. So, the Centre plans to amend the Representation of the People Act, 1951.

Following a spate of caste-based killings of young men and women with the support of the victims’ families and the despotic local community, the government set up a group of ministers (GoM) for considering the menace of what’s been termed by the Supreme Court as the “barbaric and brutal murders by bigoted, persons with feudal minds”.

Though no serious thought had been given to this burning issue during the past two years, it’s learnt that the Law Commission has given its report on the issue to the GoM.

The Commission recommends amendment to the electoral law with a view to disqualifying all those found guilty of “dishonour killing”. Thus, an amendment in section 8 has been suggested so that these criminals are given the same treatment provided for other persons involved in equally barbarous acts such as dowry death and Sati.

Informed sources say the new enactment is titled the Prevention of Crimes in the name of Honour and Tradition’.

If the Act were in place now, a senior DIG of Uttar Pradesh, SK Mathur, could have been arrested for propagating the dastardly killing by telling the parents of a girl, who was suspected to have eloped with the man of her choice, that if his daughter had run away with a boy of another caste, he would have killed her.

Later chief minister Akhilesh Yadav only transferred the officer.

It may be pointed out that a section of Indian communities isn’t alone in executing or masterminding inhuman killings.

A recent report submitted to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights shows that “honour” killings have occurred in Bangladesh, Great Britain, Brazil, Ecuador, Egypt, India, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Pakistan, Morocco, Sweden, Turkey, and Uganda.

But dowry deaths and so-called crimes of passion have a similar dynamic in that the women are killed by male family members and the crimes are perceived as excusable or understandable, the report said.