HONOUR KILLING

STOP HONOUR KILLING

India's social system is based on a caste hierarchy but it is very unfortunate that the caste system in India has turned into social evil for many young people who lost their lives in the name of honour and status. Each and every individual has right to live his or her own life according to their desire.

  

       But for number of families their status and position in the society is so much more important   than  their children that they do not hesitate or mind killing them just to maintain their status and position. Many such killing are happening with regularity in Punjab ,Haryana and western Uttar   Pradesh. These are socially sanctioned by caste Panchayat and carried out by mobs with the convenience

 of family members. Though most of these killings and crimes are being reported rom in the state of Punjab and Haryana, Delhi and UP and other part of northern and western India but the problem is not confined to these areas alone and almost every part of the country has been witness to such incident.

what is honour killing:

 Honour killing in simple words can be defined as killing of family  member by the other family member or by people of same community in order to save on the pride of their family or community .

honour killing is the murder or forced suicide of a person by his or her family or relatives once they have suspicious that the person concerned has done something which has brought disgrace to the family. 

           It is also referred to as ''customary killing''. honour killing is death sentenced by family or society members to man or women for marrying against parents's wish ,having extra martial or pre- martial affair , marrying outside one's caste or within same gotra etc. in order to protect the social status and honour of the family.

As we all know honour killing have been happening in our society from a long time and despite all the efforts made to stop such killings there are still of lot of people being killed in the name of family honour. The history of the practice of honour killing in India may date back of thousand years . the honour killing practice in modern history seem to have gained momentum since the partition of India in 1947.The tradition was a first viewed most brutal and horrible during 1947 and 1950 when women are forcefully killed to protect the family's honour. A lot of rapes and forced marriage were  causing women from India to marry men from  Pakistan and vice-versa and when they return home they would be killed so that the family honour is preserved and the family is not declared outcaste.

Thus only one question comes into the mind of all the people ''Is the society or status more important than your children''? when asked all will say that their children are more important but in reality is totally different. Such people can be termed as criminal who are far more dangerous than the terrorist because terrorist kill people who are unknown to them but these people  who are killed their own children are heartless.

Reasons of honour killing:

The basic causes for commitment of an honour   .killing is the belief that any member of family has brought dishonour to the family. The dishonour can be different types for different families. The perceived dishonour is normally the result of following behaviour or suspicion of such behaviour:

• dress code unacceptable to the family or community
• wanting to terminate or prevent an arranged marriage or desiring to marry by own choice.
• inter-caste or inter-religious marriage
• live in relationship
• homosexuality
• allegation of pre-martial or extra martial sex

The notion of marrying outside one's caste bring dishonour to the family which is responsible for axing their daughters to death by her own father or brother.

Also the most obvious reason for this practice to continue to be at its rigid best and also because people from the rural areas refuses to change their attitude to marriage.

In a horrific case of honour killing in the capital a 21yr old final year student of college in Delhi was allegedly murdered by her family because she had married a boy of anther caste and religion. Bhavana  was a yadhav from Rajasthan while abhishek was a Punjabi. The girl was killed after the family persuaded her to come home telling the couple that all was forgiven and that would organise a proper wedding ceremony.

Legal provision regarding honour killing in India :

If we talk about law against honour killing, there is no specific law to deal with honour killing. The murders come under the general categories of homicide or manslaughter. Normally the case of honour killing were admitted inside the court in India in form of homicide or manslaughter .

The law commission has proposed fresh legislation that seeks to declare that the khap pancyats indulging in this crimes be declared unlawful. it proposed a new bill.

The Prohibition of unlawful assembly (interference with the freedom of matrimonial alliance) bill 2011, propose no person or any group of person shall  gather with an intention to deliberate on or condemn any marriage, not prohibited by law, on the basis of that such marriage has dishonoured the caste or community tradition. the law commission has recommend that honour killing be made a non- Bailable offence.

In a landmark judgement in march 2010 the Karnal district court ordered that the execution of 5 perpetrators  in an honour killing case of Manoj and Babli while giving a life sentence to the Khap (local caste based council) head who ordered the killing of Manoj Banwala (23) and Babli(19) which eloped and married in June 2007 and later their mutilated bodies were found a week later from an irrigation canal

     The S.C observed that if some one is not happy with the behaviour of his daughter or other persons the maximum one can do is to cut off social relation with her or him ,'' there is nothing honourable in honour killing''.

Now the most important issues here is now we can stop these evils things to happen in future or what necessary are needed to put an end to honour killing.

   what we can do to prevent such a thing from happening :

1. The mentality of the people has to change ,that the parents should accept their children's wishes regarding marriages
2. Secondly we need to have strict law to tackle these kinds of killing as this is a crime which cannot be pardoned because humans do not have the right to write down death sentence of innocent fellows humans.
   

   

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DOWRY DEATH - THE WORSE SOCIAL EVIL

Dowry system is one of the social evils that prevails in the Indian society. Marriages are made in heaven is an adage. A bride leaves the parental home for the matrimonial home , leaving behind sweet memories therewith & hope that she will see a new world full of love in her groom s house. she leaves behind not only her memories but also her surname and gotra.
          But all the dreams and ambitions are spoiled , beaten and abused for sake of some money and property.

During the last few decades India has witnessed the black evils of the dowry system in a more acuate form in almost all parts of the country since it is practised by almost every section of the society. Women are not only harassed , humiliated , beaten or forced to commit suicide but thousand are burnt to death because parents are unable to meet the dowry demands of in-laws and husbands.
               Dowry is worst form of domestic violence wherein many married women have been killed at their matrimonial home by her husbands and relation out of greed for dowry. dowry death are death of young women who are murdered or driven to suicide by continuous harassment  and torture by husband and in-laws in an extort an increased dowry.
           The most popular way to murder a young  bride is to burn her alive , dousing her with kerosene in the kitchen and igniting her because indian women cook with kerosene and it is readily available in every household . It is also inexpensive much cheaper than gun or knife . The sari worn by bride ensures that she will burn quickly and easily. because the murder is committed behind closed doors the murderers can later claim that the young bride died as result of kitchen accident.

 

Causes and Consequences : Dowry although banned by law in 1961 but never seriously

                                              enforced . The existing law has certain loopholes and needs to made stricter. In indian society family honour resides in the women social mores dictates that a women must never speak out against her husband. Consequently indian women accuse their husbands and in -laws .Women will not complain about a husband s abuse or even a murder attempt refusing to implicate their husbands even on their deathbeds.

                Even when a bride has the courage to seek help her parents almost refuse to allow her to return home out of fear humiliation . thus the bride who has nowhere to turn for help is placed at great risk of dowry related death.

                Consequences of dowry include female foeticide , discrimination against girls, unsuitable match for girls , lowering of women s status and increased rate of suicide and so on.

 

SUGGESTION AND SOLUTION : To stop dowry system : 

It is shame that reaching at modern age the dowry system is prevalent in our society.

• Firstly we need to change our thinking and views. we should think that if other parents are giving their daughter to us, we should take care of her.

• Secondly government should also make strict laws against this bad dowry system stringent punishment to the people convicted of such crime can also help to create a deterrent effect.

• Speedy trials system also works in favour of the victim and acts as deterrent.

• Education is another approach to increase awareness by educating people about such issues .

• illiteracy must be eradicated from the society

• Female members of society be treated as like male members .it is required by parents that a daughter is equal to a son . she has same right as son .moreover female has to be conscious about her rights , necessities and urgencies.

• Women are to be introduced in every field of work not only in the house hold work .working opportunity is to be given the competent female candidate . unemployment problem is also criterion to accelerate this curse.

Legal provision regarding to dowry death:

1. THE DOWRY PROHIBITION ACT 1961:  SEC.3 of act provide punishment for gives or   

                                                                takes or abets the giving or taking of dowry .such person shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than 5 yrs and with fine and which shall not less than 15000 or the amount of value of such dowry whichever is more.

             Sec 4 . provide punishment for demanding directly or indirectly from the parents or other relatives or guardian of bride or bridegroom and such person shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which shall not less than 6 months and which may extend  to 2 yrs and fine which extend to 10000 rupees

 

2. SEC. 304-B OF INDIAN PENAL CODE:   Where the

• The death of women should be caused by burns or bodily injury or otherwise than under normal circumstances .
• such a death should have occurred within 7 yrs of her marriage.
• she must have been subjected to cruelty or harassment by her husband or any relative of her husband.
• such cruelty or harassment should be for or in connection with the demand of dowry.
• such cruelty or harassment shown to have been meted out to the women soon before her death .

Such person shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which shall not less than 7 yrs but which may extend to imprisonment for life .

 

 

        

ACID ATTACK - AN EVIL CRIME

In a male dominated society like India , most of women have been facing exploitation and oppression at every step of their lives.

          Acid attack is one of the most heinous crime against women. it is senseless crime that has no place in this country. An acid attacks involves the pre meditated throwing of acid on victim usually on her face. In addition to causing psychological trauma , acid attack results in severe pain, permanent disfigurement , subsequent infection and often blinding in one or both eyes. An attack of revenge , acid attack are experienced mostly by women and children as way of permanent damaging and dishonuring individual.
                    Every few days there are report of acids beings thrown at some girl  in some part of this vast country.in the nation capital new Delhi received 56 complaints of acids attacks in the first quarter of 2013.

    Reasons: Perpetrators commit acid attack for a number of reason include revenge for
                    refusal of a marriage proposal or other romantic or sexual advances land disputes precieved  dishonour and jealously.  80% of attack however occurred as an outraged response from a man whose marriage proposal had been rejected.
                    As was the case for 25 year old Laxami who was attacked in 2005 when she was just 16 , disfiguring her permanently. her attacker a friend's 32 year old brother planned tom use the acid to destroy laxami 's face after she refused respond to his  marriage proposal. where most victims hide their face  ,the laxami was courageous in taking a public stand against aid violence . such courage has led her to be successful in petitioning the S.C to order the Indian government to regulate the sale of acid and to support women in successfully prosecuting their attacks.

 

Consequences of acid attacks:  Acid throw on victim's face perhaps the worst form of torture. this 

                                                 way you don't just kill a women but condemn her to something which worse a living death a life time in hell on earth . the painful consequences of acid burns are well known. skin tissues melts bones dissolve and one's eye are reduced to hollow socket.

 

How can this stopped:

                                    one of the casual factor of increasing incidence of acid attacks in the absence of the law regulating the sale of acid to common people . Acids found easely  and cheaply across the country are increasingly being used as weapon against women.. by putting curbs on the sale of acid can be stopped it.

             Meanwhile in neighbour Bangladesh there is evidence the stricker laws leads to fewer attacks. There those charged with committing an acid attack are eligible for death penalty and the sale of acids is strictly regulated.as a result of Bangladesh saw a decline in acid attacks between 2002 and 2013 while India saw a rise.

Legal provision regarding acid attacks in India:

Until march 2013 an acid attack was not even a separate punishable offence under indian law. in april 2013 followed the fatal gang rape of delhi student in December . previously acid attacks were prosecuted as general act of violence and courts are free rein to issue sentences.

               In march the government passed a law that for the first time created criminal charge specifically for stalking , voyeurism , acid attacks.

     For the first time 226th report of law commission of india has suggested the introduction of sec.326 A and 326 B into INDIAN PENAL CODE deal specifically with acid attacks.

 

SEC. 326 A: VOLUNTARILY CAUSING GRIEVOUS HURT BY USE OF ACID,ETC:

                                                                                                                                                       whoever cause permanent or partial damage or deformity to or burns or maims or disfigure or disable any parts of the body of a person or cause e grievous hurt by throwing acids on or by administrated acid to that person or by using any other means with the intention of causing or with the knowledge that he is likely to cause such injury or hurt shall be either description for a term which shall not be less than 10 years but which may extend to life imprisonment for life and with fine.

                 such fine shall be just and reasonable to meet the medical expenses of the treatment of the victim and such fine shall be paid to victim .

 

SEC.326 B: VOLUNTARILY THROWING OR ATTEMPTING TO THROW ACID :

 

whoever throw or attempt to throw acid or any person or attempt to administer acid to any person or attempts to use any other means , with the intention of causing permanent or partial damages or deformity or burns or maiming or disfiguring or disability ,that person shall be punished of either description for a term which shall not less than 5 years but which may extend to 7 years and shall also liable to fine.

 

                                                                           

 

 

 

                                  

                                 

 

THE CURSE OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

domestic violence against women in India 

In India number of religion prevalent in which women assumed as Devi (god) but now days condition of women pitiful and worst. Violence against women in India is an issue rooted in societal norms and it become curse for society.

           In our society, violence is bursting. Behind closed doors of houses all across our country women are being tortured, beaten and killed. The term used to describe this exploding problem of violence within our house is domestic violence.

One of the reason of it that our society is patriarchal society and orthodox and idiotic mindset of the society that women are physically and emotionally weaker than males where men have power over women and children. domestic violence may start when one partner feels the need to control and dominate the other.
             Some men with very traditional belief may think they have the right to control women and that women are not equal to men. children who witness or are the victims of violence may learn to belief that violence is a reasonable way to resolve conflict between peoples. boys who learn that women are not to be valued or respected and who see violence directed against women are more likely to abuse women when they grow up. 
                  Domestic violence can take many forms including emotional ,sexual and physical abuse and threats of abuse .for e.g:

• pushing and restraining 
• pinching and pulling hair
• biting
• slapping
• raping and forcing the victim into unwanted sexual practice 
• forcing the victim to have an abortion 
• using degrading language, insults, criticism

solution:

There is no easy solution to the problem of domestic violence .until a man develop a sense of respect for women ,violence will continues and the women will largely be the victim. 

        but in some ways we can help to end domestic violence against women:

1. come ahead for the help of victim and call the police if we see or hear evidence of domestic violence.
2. support a friend or family member who may be in an abusive relationship.
3. promoting the eradication  of elements in traditional norms and religious beliefs ,practice which legitimate and tolerance of violence against women.
4. provide a accessible ,affordable and legal service including legal aid to ensure the just and speedy resolution of matters regarding violence against women.

legal provision relating to domestic violence :

• Protection of women from domestic violence act 2005 :   this act  enacted to protected                                                                                                    women from domestic violence. according to this act  "domestic violence " includes actual abuse or the threat of abuse that is physical sexual ,verbal, emotional and economic .harassment  by way of unlawful dowry demand also to women would be covered under this definition.      

        The relief envisaged under the act is that of the power of court to pass protection  order and provide for breach of protection order by respondent as cognizable and non bailable offence punishable with imprisonment  for a term which  may extend to 1 yrs or with fine which may extend to 20,000 rs and both.

•  sec. 498A of  I.P.C :  sec. 498a of i.p.c is also provide punishmentb to a husband and his
                                         relatives who torture and harass the wife with a view to coerce her or any person related to  her to meet any unlawful demands or to drive her to commit suicide and such person shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 3yrs and shall also liable to fine.