‘Honour’ killing a corollary to repressive social system

Satyawan Malik

Haryana witnessed, yet again, an ‘honour’ killing at Rohtak. The killing of an upper caste girl, Mamta, and police officer Narender Kumar near the court premises spells out three caustic points: Misogynism, caste perversity and lawlessness.

First, a degree of misogynism is ingrained in Haryanvi social order. The men haven’t yet shed their feudal mindset, and hence still don't treat women well. Haryanvi quasi-literate patriarchy dwells on contempt for the rights of others, particularly of women and children. This is what befell the Jat girl, who dared to marry a Dalit boy against the wishes of her foster as well as biological parents. The ‘hurt’ parents go amuck, killing their own children. The complicity of the parents, uncles, cousins and relatives in the crime makes it a collective agenda to crush dissent. The ‘honour’ contractors kill without any qualms subjugated daughters or sisters. That no one, neither parents nor in-laws, claimed Mamta’s body for cremation shows fathomless animosity against liberty-takers in the matters of inter-caste love and marriage.     

Second, caste divisions in Haryana are deep-rooted and widespread. They are visible and perpetuated everywhere, including politics, police, teaching, and bureaucracy. Jats are mostly agriculturists. They are hubristic and aren't open to change. Amorous youths and unimaginative khaps are often at loggerheads, with the latter with wanton insolence having the final say. Unfortunately, most khaps are caste-centric and dissent-unfriendly. Compassion, tolerance and understanding are foreign to them. Inter-caste marriages are still an anathema here. In the given social setup and mindset, marrying within a village or in the same ‘gotra’ is unwelcome. Khaps have been demanding a change in law on the issue.

Third, the Supreme Court had asked khaps not to act like “conscience keepers” in cases of marriage between consenting adults. Haryanvi civil society ignores the idea of immorality in the formative years of a child. Child beating by parents and teachers is common. These children, who face an identity crisis, look for love and respect outside their homes. Moral policing by khaps and their doggedness obstruct an individual’s choice and liberty in the matters of love and marriage. And non-conformity is viewed as immorality. Defiance often proves fatal, as offended people take law into their own hands. The situation becomes dangerous when the boy belongs to a lower caste. Seven bullets were fired at the girl and the PSO outside the court; it is reflective of voluminous hatred, anger and violence in their minds for anything that goes against the grain.  

(The writer is Associate Professor of English, Government College, Jind)